The Conical Glass: "Blackbird" flies high

Thursday, May 17, 2007

"Blackbird" flies high

I haven't been writing because I've been stuck at home with a cold. It's not the first time I've come down with a cold after a film festival; next year, I should wear gloves and a face mask to all screenings.

Last night, armed with cough drops, I went to see "Blackbird" at ACT. I had heard that it was about a shocking secret, so I tried to avoid all reviews and spoilers, but somehow I wound up finding out about it anyway. (Check out this review if you want the complete lowdown.) The play opens with a man in his mid-50s and a woman in her late 20s onstage; what is the nature of their relationship? You find out about 10-15 minutes into the play, and the few people in the audience who had managed not to read anything about "Blackbird" gasped. Playwright David Harrower, who seems to have more than a passing familiarity with the plays of David Mamet, based on some of his characters' speech patterns, still has some tricks up his sleeve, though. Near the end of what you think is a two-character play, a third character enters, and suddenly, everything changes. The actor is not even listed in the program; that's how sneaky they are.

The man in "Blackbird" is played by Steven Culp, best known for his portrayal of Bree's husband on the ABC soap "Desperate Housewives." The woman is played by Jessi Campbell, whose British accent is so convincing that I wonder if she's spent a lot of time in the U.K. (Her stage credits all seem to be U.S.-based, though.) The play is a fast-moving, intermissionless 85 minutes long, but it's such an emotionally draining work that it must be a real challenge to perform it eight times a week.

"Blackbird" is one of the "edgy" plays that ACT presents from time to time, so perhaps it's not so bad that most audience members know what it's about going in; as was the case with Edward Albee's "The Goat" from a few seasons ago or Berkeley Rep's recent "The Pillowman," the subject matter could offend more conservative theatergoers. Ah well; it's almost summer, which means some local theater will undoubtedly be presenting "Damn Yankees" for the millionth time.

posted by 125records @ 12:19 PM

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