Neil LaBute, a 46 year old playwright, actor, screenwriter, film director wrote a play that is currently being produced right now in Fountain Square. You may recognize his name from the director or writer's chair (or both) of such films as WICKER MAN, NURSE BETTY, & THE SHAPE OF THINGS. LaBute went to college at Brigham Young University where he joined the LDS Church. That must have some bearing here because of the title of this piece BASH- LATTERDAY PLAYS, a collection of 3 short tales connected by 2 things the characters senseless Mormoness and the senseless decisions they make. There is no apparent point to WHY they are Morman with the exception that the choices they make are a tad more… offensive… shocking perhaps because of their religion.

There has been talk of the opening of this new theatre in the arts community for a good 4+ months or so. The Theater Within (note the "er" spelling… that is a whole other posting) is located in the meeting space of The Church Within in Fountain Square. If I said this wait was anticlimactic I would be understating. The space is more Billy Graham than Billy Shakespeare. Though no one more than me is a supporter of alternate performance space this was not an alternate it was just sort of… "move the lectern and set up a couple of chairs." The goal is to do "thought provoking issue-oriented theatre" what I saw was poorly executed, borderline offensive theatre. (And you have to work hard to offend me.) I am reminded by a trip I made to Kings Island years ago in the mid 90's after they opened The Outer Limits coaster. We waited for 2 hours in the pouring rain for that ride and expected a state of the art experience. I likened it to walking into a pitch black alley and being beaten by 6 Marines with pillowcases full of soap.

The direction in this show is virtually non-existent. There is no movement dramatic or otherwise, the actors seemed to be crying out for some sort of help in the interpretation of why the characters would do the things they would do. And on top of it all the director, Rod Isaac, chose to give a 10 minute curtain speech containing unneeded information, such as a dissertation on the smoking in one scene in the show. Don't point it out and no one will care.

The performances were shadowed by a script that really has little reason for being. It is what I call a Soapbox play. LaBute is trying to say something here but, Isaac has missed the boat and the audience is left feeling angry for anger's sake and I can't believe that is what the playwright intended. I usually don't get specific about plot because of spoilers but I can't recommend you seeing this show so here goes.

The first playlette, Gaggle Of Saints has 2 pseudo-betrothed college kids traveling to NYC from college for a "bash" at a fancy hotel. After the party 3 stupid Mormon 20-somethings decide to go walking in Central Park in the wee hours of the AM. They meet up with a gay guy cruising in a public bathroom and "bash" him to death… Good Mormon boys. This piece, performed by Jeremy Grimmer and Erin Cohenour, both had much better showings in their respective Indy Fringe shows. Which makes me think… direction? Next up? Medea Redux, 14 year old girl has sex with teacher. Gets knocked up. Teacher skips town. They meet in a hotel several years later, she can't stand Teach's satisfaction with the situation and in revenge she electrocutes junior during bathtime…Good Mormon Girl. This is the best performance in the show, Carrie Schlatter Schwer. The 3rd an final, Iphigenia In Orem is a solo man in a hotel room telling a drunken stranger about how he killed his 5 month old daughter by smothering her with a bedspread because he was going to lose his job… another good Mormon boy. Also played by Jeremy Grimmer… this role should have been played by another actor or both female parts should have been played by the same person. It did not work to have double casting in one instance and not the other…Direction?

This show failed to tell me what being Morman had to do with anything. Nor why any of this should do anything but make me angry. If so, why write such a piece? If The Theater Within is trying to make some point about right wing conservative types, are they not preaching to the "Choir Within"? Later in their season they are doing THE LARAMIE PROJECT based on the death of Matthew Shepard. Now there is a show that makes you angry for a reason. I feel empty around this anger and therefore resentful of the effort, gas, $12 ticket (which is very reasonable). Why would you want to see a show like this? But then some people do still eat those WOW! Chips with Oilestra even though it causes abdominal cramping and loose stools…