When Charlie Thompson awakens from his coma, he discovers that his suicide attempt has failed and his life is actually worth living. Unfortunately, everyone around him begs to differ. His best friend (Cass Bugge) wants to steal his girlfriend; his doctor (Foss Curtis) is suspiciously eager for him to give death a second chance, while his mother (Emily Schweitz) one-ups them both by admitting she didn’t much want him in the first place. (She also wouldn’t mind having access to his college tuition money.) As the comically vitriolic threesome selfishly wish him dead from hospital bedside, Charlie (Bill Fischer) ironically becomes the only one with a true understanding of the value of life. After a barrage of snappy, ridiculous insults, however, that value comes into question. Apropos of the environment, the humor is sick. But the great accomplishment of John Snodgrass’s RatFace is how the playwright allows you to empathize with Charlie even as you simultaneously revel in his pain. It hurts so good.
RatFace
By J. Snodgrass
Collective Unconscious
Sat, Aug 13 at 8:45 p.m.; Mon, Aug 15 at 3:15 p.m.; Thu, Aug 18 at 11:15 p.m.; Sat, Aug 20 at noon; Mon, Aug 22 at 9:15 p.m.; Sat, Aug 27 at 3:45 p.m.