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PICTURES
By MARGARET BOSWELL
CORRESPONDENT
STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Title of 'Adult Content' play says it all
Saturday, July 08, 2006
"Danger: Adult Content," subtitled "A grown up comedy collection," has more dirty words in it than I have ever heard together in my life.
The group of 10 one-acts opened Friday night at Hoogland Center for the Arts, the second play presented by ADHD Entertainment Productions, formed by Jason Goodreau and Mac Warren.
I admit I am too old to be reviewing this sort of thing (even if parts were funny), but there you are. Production companies have to take potluck, and this one got me.
I'm trying hard here to stay on an even keel.
I think the only way I can master this is just to report, in short, what the acts were about and who is in the cast.
It consists of Hillary Gorrell, Carrie Risdon, Grace Smith, Mary Young, Jeff Nevins, Patrick Russell and, of course, Goodreau and Warren.
Nevins and Risdon open the show as a couple meeting in a bar? Library? Hotel lobby? No matter. They don't seem very experienced at pickups, but they are pretty funny.
What is really funny are the bells. From an elevator? They chime in when you are supposed to laugh. And you do.
Next up is "Naomi in the Living Room," featuring a dysfunctional family to end all such families. Young, always outstanding, is again - the flakiest psychopath you'll ever meet. Warren and Gorrell play her son and daughter-in-law, and the dialogue is very, very funny.
"Parade of the Nice Guys" includes all the men in the cast, and in the second act, "Women Rule!", all the women.
These are short episodes with a lot of those d.w.'s.
"At the Orgy" features Smith and Russell, and here's where my age was an advantage. You see, I remember when Abbott and Costello did this routine years and years ago, but they called it "Who's On First?"
"Speed the Play" offered the whole cast in supposed cuts from David Mamet works, introduced by Young. Sorry - they lost me, except there were a lot more d.w.'s.
Second only to "Naomi" in hilarity was "One Tennis Shoe," with Goodreau bemoaning the fact his girlfriend, Smith, seems to be turning into a bag lady.
Smith has a perfectly rubber face, and her expression when Goodreau discovers her purse is full of oatmeal (in a bowl) that she lifted from a deli is almost too much to handle. I can't reveal any more of the objects in her bag or her purse, but trust me, they are a surprise.
"DMV Tyrant" and "A Fork in the Life" are two more of the capsules in the second act, and they are OK but predictable.
Winding up the show are Warren and Goodreau in "Howard Hopped the A-Train," where Warren, who has just lost his job, meets a surprising fellow traveler. This is not an evening where you expect theology, but here's some. Both men were excellent.
The producers set a curtain time of 8:59 p.m. (simply too cute), I guess to discourage bringing children.
I'll just tell you - don't. The show didn't start until 9:05 p.m. anyway, since they had to set up more chairs. Lots of d.w. fans.
As in its first production, ADHD featured a local band before the show and at intermission. Friday night it was "Westchester." It was better music than before, but still too loud.
The orchestra names were not listed, but the pianist at intermission was pretty darn good.
"Danger" will be repeated at 8:59 p.m. (maybe) today at Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St. Tickets are $10; phone 523-2787. Cash bar available.
Margaret Boswell is a retired arts writer and copy editor for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at magbos23@netzero.net.
"Dedicated to the advancement of innovative arts and arts education"
ADHD Productions, 2005