Penetrator: The Bear Necessities

Douglas Adams once said that when a character first enters and says odd things, at first you think it's funny, but it's when you realize that he actually means what he's saying that it becomes terrifying.  That principle is exploited to fantastic effect in Working Man's Clothes' production of Penetrator by Anthony Neilson.

Max and Alan (played by Michael Mason and Jared Culverhouse, respectively) live together like a postmodern Odd Couple, delighting in each other's company; they joke and hang out and drink beer and play video games.  Into their slacker idyll comes Woody (Cole Wimpee), an old high school friend of Max's who's since gone into the army.  Woody arrives unexpectedly, in a daze, with blood on him, saying that he's been discharged and will be getting a huge settlement from the Army, and he asks if he can crash with them.

From Woody's entrance, the play spirals into an unexpected, creepy, and genuinely frightening consideration of male bonding and what friendship means.

I don't want to spoil the wonderful, spine-tingling shocks that are in store for the audience, but all the actors are top-notch (I'd seen all of them recently in FuckPlays, also by Working Man's Clothes- here they're really given a chance to shine) as they deal unflinchingly with increasingly bizarre and frightening situations.  Cole Wimpee rides the line between innocent and twisted so perfectly, you never know what to expect from him.  Michael Mason is a sweet delight, all wounded hipster charm and devilish excitement.  Jared Culverhouse is a powerhouse of passion as the sudden outsider who may or may not have a secret of his own.

The play was written in 1993 in England, and the dramaturge (Playwright Bekah Brunstetter) has updated and Americanized the references flawlessly, as per the playwright's wishes- the play would be less powerful and dangerous at a remove.

The direction by Jeremy Torres seems to have concentrated more on the psychological than the spatial- it's a tricky space to block, as there is audience on 3 sides of the stage; often actors had their backs to audience members at crucial moments.

Sound design by Adam Smith was difficult to hear from where I was sitting, but the strain to make out the muddled words only added to the trepidation.

On the whole a fantastic and powerful production.  I highly recommend it.

The American Place Theatre – 520 8 Ave. (22 Floor) between 36 &
37 Streets in NYC.
Limited Engagement: May 31 to June 23, 2007.
Thursdays-Saturdays @8pm. Tickets: $15.
To purchase call 212-868-4444 or visit http://www.smarttix.com.
Direct ticket link is http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=PEN8. 

MATURE AND VIOLENT CONTENT.
 

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