It's all hangin' out at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Blood and bodies, screams and sobs, manic maniacs and violent virgins, repressive mothers and repressed children, religious zealots and frantic film directors.
It's "Slasher," a new play by Allison Moore that had its premiere a year ago at the Humana Festival. Produced by Hot City Theatre, it's on stage at the Kranzberg Arts Center through Dec. 18. A spoof of Hollywood films of the slasher genre, it's wild and woolly, fast and furious, accompanied by with high-volume music, and sometimes it makes sense. Director Chuck Harper uses lots of blackouts in an effort to keep us on edge and anticipatory of the next random act of violence, changes the cloth on the table at stage center many times to show changes of location.
And then there's Lavonne Byers, every hair in its place as the diva in "Master Class" a few months ago. Now, as Frances McKinney she's the ideal slattern, screaming at her daughters, faking disabilities, driving a scooter as if she were in a demolition derby, apparently unbathed for a season of Saturday nights. She's a trip, and over-the-top funny as she spouts all the cliches used a couple of decades ago when women's rights were on a front burner.
She has two daughters, the lovely Sheena (Natasha Toro) and the not-so-lovely Hildy (Marcy Wiegert). Chopper Leifheit is most effective as Marc Hunter, a filmmaker who'd rather direct "Slasher" with real, well-sharpened weapons and who sneakily attracts Sheena into the movie by telling her she will be the "last girl" in his horror film, meaning she will have the most screen time. James Cougar Canfield is Jody Joshi, dreaming of a career in movies, and Colleen Caul is Christi Garcia, dreaming of a career as a religious martyr. Maggie Conroy portrays four young women–Bridget, Marcy, Beth and Madison–all of whom meet untimely, bloody ends.
Harper's direction is wide open, and generally successful despite a script that has a lot of sophomoric humor. This may be because the comedy is set in Austin, Tex., and it does live up to that city's slogan, "Keep Austin Weird."
Slasher, presented by the Hot City Theatre, is on stage at gthe Kranzberg Arts Center through Dec. 18
—Joe
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Saw the play this afternoon and had a great time. Lots of laughs and FUN!