Two actors share theater life together: John (the younger) compliments Robert (the older) in order to begin a mentor relationship. Starving for real connection, Robert pours his experience, talent, and eventually his life into John. As the relationship evolves romantically, we see theater life on stage and off: their struggles, revelations, shared victories. Robert teaches John who eagerly learns. But as Robert puts it: everything is ephemeral. The relationship slowly dies as John begins to outgrow his fading teacher. By the end Robert is an old actor who has lost everything he values most: job competency, aspirations to make a difference, real connection. John is on that same actors’ tread mill completely unaware that he could end up exactly the same and not at all sympathetic to his now “just a friend.”
A sad drama with funny moments: the alien scene was hilarious, especially when Robert threw his salad tongs like a 3 year old having a tantrum. Or when Robert wouldn’t leave the theater when John was practicing, or the many times Robert over acted when “on stage.”
Theater, like any other profession, has its ups and downs. Being an actor/director myself, I could identify with wanting: real lasting connections, acting proficiency and satisfaction, mentoring younger actors, etc. But I felt blue afterwards because the playwright showed what I know all too well about theater: lasting relationships with fellow actors are rare, eventually most actors slow down to the point of incompetency, there is virtually no dignity in growing old as an actor since the younger actors don’t understand you, and really wish you’d just move out of the way...sounds like corporate America...or just America.
1-10 Scale: 11-fantastic acting, scenery, stagehands, 7-script and statement, 3-feeling happy afterwards. PG13+ for adult themes, much profanity, smoking and homosexual actions.
Comments