BWW Reviews: TRUST at Zoetic Stage

Mistress Carol is the stereotypical dominatrix, and if it's been a while since you were last touched by the feathery tip of delight, let me remind you that the classic controller is the queen of black leather and thigh-high spike heeled boots. The snap of her whips is birdsong to your ears. Remember? So here's Nicky Fridh as Mistress Carol with Harry, better known as Nick Richberg, on his knees, licking her shiny insteps.

It's Richberg, so it's funny, in this opening scene from TRUST, Zoetic Stage's latest venture into the bizarre.

Funny, too, the second scene, Harry's bedroom with wife supine, reading a book as he circumspectly slithers back and forth beneath the covers. It's our first glimpse of the delightful Gretchen Porro, as Aleeza, hysterically failing wife of 300 plus millionaire Harry.

And then Harry, once again back in the dungeon, chains and dildos rampant, discovers that Mistress Carol is really old high school unattainable dream Prudence. And the slow metamorphoses begins. Prudence has a live in boyfriend, Morton (he might just as well be Bluto, but educated at Cornell), played by Alex Alvarez. He's a bright sponge and sees Harry as the cure of all his money troubles.

TRUST is a lengthy one act written by Paul Weitz and it's not really a well constructed piece. The many scene changes slow things despite the slickness of the music and the lighting designs. (If the focus of the eyeball searing red spots were changed just a little I wouldn't be writing this in Braille.)

But it's not only the construction the slows the evening. The writing, although rife with slick gags, slides into soul searching and the characters slowly lose their charm. The anguished hair pulling is exceeded only by the breast beating; thumping loud enough to be heard out on Biscayne Boulevard.

So finally, when Harry and Prudence meet in Hawaii one cares so little about them and their fates that the only feeling left is astonishment at the skirt on Prudence. That's a two legged mushroom exiting stage left, ladies and gentlemen.

TRUST needs tightening but overall Director Stuart Meltzer has done well by his cast. Alvarez, Porro and Richberg relish the fun in their roles, and Fridh, whip wielder, worn out girl friend and guilty daughter brings the solemnity to the party.

Elayne Bryan designed the large set: the dominatrix's den, a bedroom, two separate apartments, a cafe, an office and a lanai in Hawaii.

Marcelo Ferreira designed the lighting and succumbed to the temptation to bathe the domination scenes in dim red light. Alas.

Sound by director Stuart Meltzer.

TRUST plays through March 29 in the Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. 305-949-6722 http://www.arshtcenter.org

Photo: Niki Fridh and Nicholas Richberg

Credit: Justin Namon

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