In today's theatrical climate, it's difficult to find ground that hasn't been tread. We end up seeing the same plays over and over again, or else plays that cover the same themes and ideas as dozens of others. There are, however, those plays that hit with the power a lightning bolt, striking suddenly and out of nowhere, igniting the air with excitement and leaving the audience dumbstruck. Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's Hunter Gatherers is one such play, a pitch black comedy that explores just what happens when the modern man or woman truly gets in touch with his or her wild side, and the result is nothing short of astonishing. Capital T and Director Mark Pickell hand pick the perfect cast to play the cadre of wild and volatile characters who live in the play, actors who aren't afraid to let the animal within roam free as they explore the shocking corners of human behavior that few others would have the guts to do, relishing in the violence and sexuality that are so much a part of the human experience.
Kenneth Wayne Bradley does a complete one-eighty from his performance in Circle Mirror Transformation earlier this year, discarding his previous sensitivity like a used napkin and infusing his role with a few thousand ccs of masculinity. He is the epitome of the “perfect man”, virile, strong and macho, so when he slowly devolves into primeval man, we're hardly surprised. He puts his physicality on full display, spending half the piece wrestling or brawling, roaring across the stage like a jungle cat. On the flip side of things is Rebecca Robinson as his wife, who leaves the bubbliness and pertness of her character from Circle Mirror Transformation at the door in exchange for a stern intellectualism. The odd paring of her straight-laced software designed and Bradley's volatile man-beast makes up one of the main, and most interesting, conflicts of the piece, especially with the introduction of the other couple in the piece, which throws things into a major tempest of emotion and violence.
The ever-amazing Liz Fisher also returns to the boards after her acclaimed performance in Dying City, this time as the free spirit Wendy. Fisher attacks the role with unbridled emotion, not shying away from anything and shedding all her inhibitions to become a being of pure, raw intensity. Once she entices you, it’s difficult to take your eyes off of her, as she struts, sashays, and sasses her way around the stage, oozing sensuality with every movement. Her sexual chemistry with Kenneth Wayne Bradley is nothing short of electrifying, with heat so intense you expect the fire alarm to go off at any moment.
Rounding out the cast is Austin newcomer Brad Price as Ted, nerdy husband of Wendy, who acts as a constant foil to Fisher’s unbridled hedonist. The part could easily have become rote and cliché, but Price keeps his focus squarely on the more off-kilter qualities of his character, transforming the nerd into a bizarre creature, confused in his sexuality and exhausted from constant criticism from his wife. Though it may be his first major Austin production, audiences can already see that he's sure to become a major talent.
Though on the surface it may not seem like Hunter Gatherers is covering any new ground, it plays with old, familiar tropes in such a new and exciting way that we simply can’t help but sit back in awe of the experience. From this rich soil, Pickell and his fine ensemble grow a bizarre and intricate piece of flora, which weaves its vines around the audience and doesn't relinquish its hold until the violent, bloody, sexually charged finale. This production is not for all tastes, containing massive amounts of sex, both hetero- and homosexual, and abundant violence, but for those with the stomach and the nerve to take it, this is a hilarious and unforgettable theatrical experience.
Comments