Dark comedies have never been my cup of tea, but if The Meat Shall Inherit is any indication of what I’ve been missing, then I’m a fan of the genre.
Written and directed by David Gallic, who also penned the recent hit Twylight Zone: the 6th Dimension, the Four Letter Theatre has put together a fascinating piece that reveals the depths to which some people will go to either support or run away from their family.
When a sudden death interrupts the lives of children Preston (David Dickerson), Melanie (Erica Edd) and Christian (Steve Ducey), they head home to be with their mother Morgan (Nadja Hoyer-Both) as they prepare to bury their father Clarence (William Goldman).
This madcap romp also introduces us to Preston’s “girlfriend” Chloey (Sarah Schulte), Melanie’s client Vince and their mother’s caterer Finnigan (ably played by Dany Fishback), and Christian’s cult followers Trisha (Adyn Wood, who also plays Melanie’s lesbian lover, Bobbi) and Richard (Ryan Klamen, who also plays the Mom’s ex-lover Drake).
While this is a comedy about family, it is definitely not suitable for all of yours – leave the small children and teenagers at home for their own protection.
Schulte and Edd did an outstanding job in creating the most memorable characters in this play, while Ducey and Ryan created a pair of easy-to-hate characters. The cast worked well together with an abundance of chemistry onstage that spilled out into the audience.
I highly recommend this show, which runs through March 2 at the Studio/Stage theatre on Western Avenue. The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 5 p.m.
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