Four new one-act plays, plus "Kandahar", create the second half of this year's LaBute New Theater Festival. LaBute's "Kandahar" was also included in the first half with four other new plays. This batch's theme seems to be writers and the arts.
Perhaps the best of the batch is "Homebody", a story about a mother and son. Son Michael Hogan seems to be a slacker but mom has painstakingly trained him to take care of her. Donna Weinsting is a moaning, manipulative mother, totally believable as a woman who's not read any of her unsuccessful-writer son's work since he was in the eighth grade. The script could do with some tightening but basically, this works. It's like watching a mongoose and a cobra.
"There You Are" shows authors B. Weller and Jenny Smith at a writers conference. Is this a seduction? Yes…maybe…orr just sort of. Not even the characters, I suspect, know. This could be viewed as pointless. I just think it's subtle. "Deirdre Dear" is about an actress, Jenny Smith again, at the intersection of youth and middle age, and a casting call. Her daughter, Maya Dickinson, who's helping her run her lines, is poised and easy. But the script leaves us wondering and confused.
The most uncomfortable moments of the evening come with "Pitch". Two young writers are trying to create a television series. The young man, Paul Cereghino, is perhaps the most unpleasant male character to grace a stage in some time. Immature, tasteless, and completely unappealing, it's hard to understand why his writing partner, Stephanie Benware, has enjoyed his company as long as she apparently has.
And if you want to read about "Kandahar", you can find that here.
LaBute New Theater Festival
through August 2
St. Louis Actors' Studio
Gaslight Theatre