It's no secret that Americans are obsessed with celebrities. Countless magazines and television series share their every move or thought with us, and the rise of YouTube confirms that people will do anything to claim their 15 minutes of fame and fortune – no matter how demeaning or embarrassing.
Sociologists have produced reams of studies exploring this phenomenon, of course, but it took a playwright to explain it to us in the very funny satire "As Bees in Honey Drown" by Douglas Carter Beane that is now playing at Detroit's Furniture Factory courtesy of the Breathe Art Theatre Project.
Young and handsome Evan Wyler has just had his first novel published when he receives a call from record producer Alexa Vere de Vere who wants him to write a screenplay based on her exotic life. "You're my favorite writer," the larger-than-life woman gushes when they meet to discuss her proposition. And she promises him $1,000 a week – in cash – to draft a treatment.
Impressed by the name-dropping femme fatale, Evan accepts the job and is immediately swept into her high-flying lifestyle. So much so, that the heretofore gay man seemingly falls in love with his more than attentive employer.
But when his newfound life rudely comes crashing down upon him, does Evan seek out Alexa for revenge? Or to find some way back into the world he came to love?
It's a question nicely defined by director Courtney Burkett. When Evan visits Alexa's world, the characters are exaggerated and over-the-top. But when he's firmly planted in the real world, Burkett populates it with real people.
Two shining examples are Dax Anderson and Eric Janssen, both of whom play multiple roles across both sides of reality – and each excels at creating unique and fully realized characters in each world.
As Evan, Oliver Georgiou has the perfect look and temperament of a eager, lovesick puppy that will do anything to stay in its master's presence and good graces.
And Tiffanie Kilgast sweeps onto the stage as Alexa with the charm and attitude of such major female film stars of the 1940s and '50s as Bette Davis and Tallulah Bankhead.
The set by first-time designer Curtis Green is adequate, given the confines of the space in which he had to work. But a REAL challenge would have been to figure out a way to achieve the same results without the constant removal and setup of tables and chairs between scenes that only slows the show down.
(FOR "REVIEW BOX")
REVIEW:
'As Bees in Honey Drown'
Breathe Art Theatre Project at The Furniture Factory, 4126 Third St., Detroit. Fri.-Sat., through Nov. 17. Tickets: $20. For information: 313-831-1939 or http://www.breathearttheatre.com
