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Stephen Belber wants everyone to know that he wrote Death of Frank in 1997,
before he wrote Tape, before The Laramie Project, before fame could allow
him to be ashamed of his early work. It is rough, but powerfully so, a tale
of incestuous thoughts and death that requires an appreciation of operatic
anti-realism and often uncomfortably dark humor. Peter (Raymond James Hill)
is in love with his sister, Natalie (Alexa Dubreuil), a 25-year-old yoga
instructor who is tired of being sassy and falls in love with a sleazy
41-year-old "construction" worker, Frank (Paul Keany). We follow Peter's
desperate, flailing attempts to reclaim his sister, which take him from
dating the militant linguist Lynn (Tessa Gibbons, who does an admirable job
but looks too much like ex-MTV VJ Kennedy to take seriously) to a stint in
jail. With the exception of awkward staging that keeps the prop girl and
offstage actors visible at all times, the only remarkable thing about this
solid production is the establishment of Keany as a theatrical force. As the
titular Frank, he's sexy but domineering, charming but abusive. A true star
in the making, he creates complexity out of a buffoon and commands more
attention slumped in his "backstage" chair than the play and the other
actors combined.
-- JADA YUAN
Sum of Us Theatre Company
Written by Stephen Belber; directed by Nancy S.
Chu.
Where:
P.S. 122, 150 First Avenue
When:
8/19 at 4:15, 8/24 at 9.
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