Review: BUYER & CELLAR at Unicorn Theatre

Now being performed on Unicorn Theatre's Jerome Stage is Seth Golay in a funny little one man play called "Buyer & Cellar." The audience finds itself suddenly on the Malibu estate of Barbra Streisand and James Brolin.

Seth Golay is Alex More, a gay man who is a struggling Los Angeles wannabe actor, who scores a rather unusual acting/retail job. The play documents his adventures on the job. The show claims that Ms. Streisand's outlandish penchant for collecting and design has been built out into a mall in her barn's basement complete with shops for which she is the sole customer. Alex More is the sole retail employee in Ms. Streisand's fantasy shopping mecca. He sits down there all by himself, dusting, arranging, and waiting for the queen of the domain to make an appearance.

The idea comes from a 2010 book by the "Babs" called "My Passion For Design." Evidently, she really does have the mall described by the play in her basement, but that is where the play's relationship to the real world ends.

It ain't easy to hold an audience for 95 minutes all by yourself, but Seth Golay does a fine job. In an hour and a half, through Golay, the audience gets to know Alex More, Ms. Streisand, James Brolin, Oprah Winfrey, her estate manager, and Alex's boyfriend, Barry. "The story is fictional," says Alex. "You know that, right?" It is also very funny with an occasional hint of pathos.

All of the above listed characters make an appearance, but Golay does not attempt an impression of any of them. Somehow, he is able to invoke each without becoming a "Rich Little" style impersonator. The show is surprisingly entertaining. The audience follows the Alex character through his growing and diminishing relationships with all those who visit him in this spooky cellar, especially with Ms. Streisand herself.

Playwright Jonathan Tolins has created a humorous tale that's campy without being overwrought, and satirical without being cynical. The yarn spins a tiny comment on wealth and obsession and the isolation of extreme wealth.

Part of what makes this production so good is an unusual set and excellent supporting technical assistance. It is simply a room with a chair and few pieces of random, very nice furniture. Along the rear wall are translucent panels that change color to set mood throughout the production. A number of subtle light and sound cues throughout help make the outlandish fantasy palatable.

The mind behind the Unicorn production of "Buyer & Cellar" is Kansas City Director Darren Sextro. The team of Sextro and Golay have created something very much worth spending a couple of hours with.

"Buyer & Cellar" continues on the intimate Jerome Stage at the Unicorn through December 27. Tickets are available online at www.unicorntheatre.org or by telephone at 816-631-7529.

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