Prologue Theatre: Monsters of the American Cinema

 A little delay in sharing this one.  It's been a busy week...half week.

First of all, I want to make a little reflection on the state of regional theatre.  It is in crisis.  The trajectory of support and participation that was present before the Covid-19 Pandemic hit a brick wall.  Support from the Federal government enabled most companies to survive the darkest days. Some found ways to continue to work and engage audiences in the midst of the shutdowns.  In the DMV, I praise Constellation Theatre, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre, and even Metro Stage; and in Baltimore Everyman Theatre for creatively soldiering on online.   Other companies with less profile I personally took under my wing and contributed what I could to both demonstrate my belief in their mission, and my hope for their return.

Chief among these was and is Prologue Theatre.  Prologue Theatre is a humble and visionary company.  It if founded on this crazy idea that Theatre done well demands a response that can create a community where people with different points of view can discover common ground post production.  As such, it seeks out interesting, probing, ambiguous but not banal productions to stage.  Their latest and current play is "Monsters of the American Cinema".

It's a play that twines together the issues of homophobia, racism, family, bullying, adolescents, drug addiction, parenting, betrayal, forgiveness, love...into a tapestry that is truly up-lifting without being sensational or ridiculous.  It wasn't always a easy journey--as a member of the audience, but it wasn't painful without a purpose.  Are you getting this?  I really loved this play.  I'm going to go back and see it again with other friends next week.  It's just that good.  Just that worth a second dip.

As to the particulars.  The actors were phenomenal.  The demands of the story are not for the rookie. 

This is the second production I've seen this season with Gerrad Alex Taylor.  As Remy the surviving partner in a gay union whose husband died from a drug overdose and left him in care of his teenage white son, his portrayal was vulnerable, compassionate, righteous when indignation was called for, and ultimately gracious in the way that a true parent of any child must land on.  It was nuanced, authentic and endearing.

Fletcher Lowe as Pup, the white son of the diseased partner of Remy was the delightful, quirky, unpredictable, needy, exuberant, myopic embodiment of a 16 year-old whose suddenly loss of a parent and need for social acceptance combines to create a path toward self-destruction.  Not via drugs or sex, but by rebelling against the one true thing left in his life...a friend/parent.

The writing is such that what starts as in interesting story becomes a must see movie.  The set is really beautiful and functions on many levels, and the use of drive-in sized screens that flank the main stage projected images from American Horror films at key moments throughout...genius!  

You'll have no one to blame but yourself for missing this one.

Gerrard Alex Taylor as REMY

Fletcher Lowe as PUP