Undermain Theatre launched into its new season with the cerebral comedy Evening at the Talk House, a perplexing play by Wallace Shawn that mixed dark humor and deep thought among a group of theater friends. The play felt perfectly aligned with Undermain’s usual fare through its complexities, which were conveyed strongly by its cast directed by Undermain Producing Artistic Director Bruce DuBose.
And yet, it packed little punch.
Ironic for its intriguing premise — a sort of Big Chill for a gathering of esoteric theater types.
To start, Robert, a playwright, welcomes the audience and sets the tone through a massive monologue performed effortlessly by Jim Jorgensen. The gathering at the club is what Robert describes as a sort of haven for theater types with really good snacks. The occasion is a reunion of the stage flop Midnight in a Clearing with Moon and Stars, which Robert wrote and from which he survived unscathed—if not actually benefited from it.
Those who worked with Robert on the show entered the scene as they gathered for this 10-year anniversary. Not everyone had done as well as Robert—so much so that they moonlit as informants and even assassins, because, sure.
The dialogue was rich and the cast here brought textured drama to each part. Anthony L. Ramirez was most colorful as Dick, a failed actor who could’ve been a contender. After he was assaulted, he joined the gang, but also found sanctuary in the Talk House thanks to owner Nellie, played with lovely warmth by Elly Lindsay, and her employee, the struggling young actor Jane, whom Samantha Potrykus delivered with the urbane friendliness of a restaurant server and biting dry wit in the second half. Dick was a sympathetic hot mess, and Ramirez tapped into the character’s different facets with aplomb.
While dialogue-heavy, Shawn’s play held just shy of an impact. The absurdist notion of these struggling theater types who target people for execution was a severe left turn that had its moments of hilarity, but as that settled in, the story didn’t add much exposition as to why. Perhaps it should have had more effect in today’s America, but alas, it did not.
The dense dialogue felt quite naturalistic among the cast, who displayed equally strong chemistry. They all embodied their roles with appropriate flair as sort of washed-up, but sort of still-in-the-game. Marcus Stimac’s Ted brought big energy, contrasting Amber Bonasso’s more serious but affable Annette. Ben Bryant and Tyagi Schwarz each had a subtle dynamic which gave the range of characters balance.
Robert Winn’s set was a marvel to look at. Someone compared it to a Bennigan’s interior, which was actually fair given its color scheme, but the way Winn used the space and depth was quite extraordinary. The set exuded a coziness, and its use of wood and lighting by Steve Woods grounded the Talk House in a retro reality.
Well-crafted from DuBose’s direction and pacing due to its cast and technical aspects, Evening at the Talk House was still inherently baffling, with an ending that felt more open to interpretation than it should have been. Shawn wrote a complex and compelling story, but the stakes simply felt low—assuming we could tell what they were.
The show runs through Sunday.
–Rich Lopez