BWW Reviews: Funky Little Theater Company Takes a Daring First Step With IN A DARK, DARK HOUSE

Tucked away in a storefront not too far from the Senior Center, the Funky Little Theater Company is the sort of daring, grassroots company I had not expected to find in Colorado Springs. Yet here Chris Medina's brainchild is, and in choosing Neil LaBute's In a Dark, Dark, House for its debut show, FLTC declares its intention to sail bravely into dark dramatic territory.

LaBute's play about three people connected by a pattern of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse is an intense, intimate piece, a window into the darker parts of human nature that seems perfectly suited for the close (and air-conditioning-free) quarters where Funky Little Theater has set up shop. Medina takes on the role of Drew, who in the plays opening is in rehab and receiving a visit from his rougher, older brother Terry (Jude Bishop). Drew needs Terry's help confirming that the former was sexually assaulted by a friend of the family, hoping the truth will help him get clean and fix his precarious home life. The truth isn't quite so simple, however, and the brothers excavate their past in a series of increasingly uncomfortable revelations and disturbing turns.

Director Betsy Acree-McClenahan confesses to having personal experience with In a Dark, Dark House's subject matter, and she treats it with the raw and uncompromising honesty it deserves. Her production is best in its dark places where the actors can run with the confrontational material given to them, with Medina's anxious, insecure attitude serving as an excellent foil for Bishop's blunt speech. But it takes a while to reach this space, and the play falters while the tension builds; Terry's early banter with an unusually provocative teenage girl (Gavriella Meola) falls a little flat.

It is perhaps understandable that Funky Little Theater Company doesn't quite seem comfortable in its skin yet. While the small space can be (and is) used to an advantage, the set seemed a bit unwieldy for the two-person crew, and the blocking on platforms and benches left Medina's head scraping the low ceiling in a distracting manner. But you can't fault the ambition, and it's great to not only see a new player in the Colorado Springs scene, but one intent on bringing a broader scope of theater to the city's community of actors, production staff, and audiences.

IN A DARK DARK HOUSE plays now through August 3rd, Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30pm (no show July 13th) at Funky Little Theater Company, 1502 N. Hancock Ave. For tickets or more information, contact 719-425-9509.