Review: Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp. Produced by Azeotrope Theatre. Directed by Desdemona Chiang. With Tim Gouran, Mariel Neto and Richard Nguyen Sloniker. Now through November 13 at Theatre Off Jackson.
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| Left to right, Richard Nguyen Sloniker, Mariel Neto, Tim Gouran in Azeotrope’s “Red Light Winter” at Theatre Off Jackson now through November 13. |
Everything about the new theater company, Azeotrope’s debut production of Adam Rapp’s play “Red Light Winter” was a surprise. I wasn’t familiar with the play, the playwright or the new company so my expectations were cautiously optimistic but tinged with my chronic pessimism. It didn’t help that the show was being produced at Theatre Off Jackson, a charming International District venue, but one noted for the low budgeted antics of more minor theater companies. I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst in other words but I’m happy to say that my “half-empty” glass soon proved to be over flowing with milky theatrical goodness. “Red Light Winter” is a simple but sharp play and Azeotrope provided a professionally acted, directed and designed night of theater. They are potentially a new force to be reckoned with in the world of Seattle theater and I look forward to their future productions.
Red Light Winter is a classic love triangle piece and it’s not especially original or brilliant but it does feature some crackling sharp dialogue and painfully honest sexual imagery. Successful, yuppie asshat Davis is a wunderkind editor at a New York book publisher and Matt is his depressed, brilliant but nerdy and shy best friend and the two 30 year olds are inexplicably visiting Europe in the dead of winter and find themselves staying in a hostel in Amsterdam. Matt, suffering from the after effects of giardia and depressed over his failed writing career and non-existent love/sex life, (Davis is now engaged to Matt’s ex-girlfriend) makes a feeble attempt at suicide. In order to cheer up his buddy, Davis brings back an exotic French prostitute to their room and graciously pays for her services and leaves the couple alone. Matt and the hooker, Christina nervously make conversation then have sex…it’s over in seconds for the emotionally fragile Matt and for Christina, it’s just another trick in a long line of tricks.
Cut to a year later and we’re in Matt’s tiny New York apartment. He’s working on a new play, about a couple of buddies and the hooker they met in Amsterdam, and he’s still obviously pining over his encounter with Christina. Cue a knock at the door and the sudden, surprise arrival of a certain prostitute and we’re off for another 40 minutes of pain and pathos before the sexual triangle eventually resolves itself in a tragic and rather O. Henrian ending.
It’s a fairly simple show with three actors, two plain sets and not a lot of extra baggage. But director Desdemona Chiang keeps the action moving on the tiny, claustrophobic sets with careful and thoughtful choreography of the actors and keeping the attention on the taut, rich dialogue and the intense performances of the three actors.
It’s an actor’s showcase and all three give strong, brave performances. Tim Gouran was memorable in Strawshop’s “Breaking the Code” as a Mancunian guttersnipe this past September, but he’s equally at home playing the bastardly Davis, who seems to relish torturing and one upping his best friend while barely able to conceal a suppressed homoerotic yen for his friend that borders on the sado-masochistic. Davis is more successful than Matt but he also knows he’s not blessed with any true talent or a winning personality. Mr Gouran does a fine job of channeling that inner rage and insecurity. You don’t entirely hate Davis because of the quality of this performance.
Mariel Neto has a tough role, playing the different aspects of her prostitute character Christina. I won’t spoil the play for you, by revealing too much, but the role requires her to play multiple roles within the one role, as well as sing and perform very sexually explicit scenes in the nude. It’s not a role for the feint of heart, and Ms Neto has the strength to pull it off. Of the three roles, hers is the least unlikely and the one that feels a bit OVER written with plot contrivances while remaining rather a shallow and under motivated character, but the actress makes it believable and charming and quite heartbreakingly real by the end of the evening.
But, it’s Richard Nguyen Sloniker who wins our hearts as the hesitant and emotionally immature Matt. It’s a subtle, quietly nurtured performance of a tortured artistic soul who can’t connect with the realities and pain of emotional connections in the outside world. Mr Sloniker captures the charm, and the fear, and feverish passion of the character without going over the top; it’s a carefully nuanced performance that never seems forced or mannered; all the quirks and ticks of the character seem real and believable.
I am now a big fan of this show, the actors and talent in it, and the future of Azeotrope Theatre Company. I urge anyone who enjoys fine acting and directing to check it out. But, with a small caveat: the play does contain considerable nudity and strong scenes of sexuality. If you have a difficult time watching such intimate scenes, it might not be the play for you.
– Michael Strangeways
