BWW Reviews: THE METHOD GUN Hits the Bullseye in LA

What do you get when a theatre troupe tries to perform a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" without the characters of Blanche, Stella, Stanley or Mitch?  A truly original and fun night of theatre in an absurdist delight called "The Method Gun" -from Austin's Rude Mechanicals theatre company - which opened last week at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre. 

"The Method Gun" tells the tale of a company of actors who were students of Stella Burden, a quirky if misunderstood acting coach, who mysteriously disappears to South America just prior to the troop performing a nine-years-in-the-making production of "Streetcar Named Desire" – one that does not include the four main characters in the play.  Using "found" text and journals from the company, "The Method Gun" gives you a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of this misunderstood acting school, with interior monologues, rehearsal sequences, and even an imagined cast reunion of the original troop in a bizarre sequence of events that are examined, analyzed and reminisced on, before the troop performs the ill-fated show right before the audience's eye.

The result, in a quickly paced 90 minute one act play, is like a cross between "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" and Christopher Guest's "Waiting for Guffman," and equally as funny.   While it toys with the excesses of performing, and the somewhat absurdist lengths people will go to learn the craft of acting, ultimately, "The Method Gun's" final sequence in which the audience finally gets to see the entire "Streetcar" performance, is pure joy to behold, creative and almost haunting in its presentation.

The Rude Mechanicals' (or Rude Mechs as they are sometimes referred) company of Thomas Graves, Hannah Kenah, Lana Lesley, E. Jason Liebrecht and Shawn Sides (who does double duty as he show's director) are all top notch and imbue the show with both humor and humility, beautifully bringing the words of playwright Kirk Lynn to life.

Presented as part of the Center Theatre Group's Douglas Plus season at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, "The Method Gun" has a very limited run, with performance now through only June 26^th.  All tickets are only $25, so go to CenterTheatreGroup.org to view the performance schedule and order tickets (you can also purchase tickets by calling 213-628-2772, or by visiting the box office at the Music Center or two hours prior to performaces at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.)