| "Jeffrey,"
the latest offering from SNAP! (Support Nebraska AIDS Project) Productions, received a
standing ovation at its Midwest premiere. The play, written by New York playwright
Paul Rudnick, screenwriter or such movies as "Addams Family Values," has played
off Broadway for the last couple of years. Rudnick is in the process of writing a film
adaptation. Jeffrey, played by
Michal J. Simpson, is a gay Manhattan man who refuses to have sex after facing up to the
reality of AIDS. Then he meets "Mr. Right" (Steven L. Barron), who is
HIV-positive.
The actors' performances were smooth and realistic,
giving their characters a genuine sense of passion.
From the beginning of the play, the well-rounded cast
delivers a superb balance of comedy and sorrow through Rudnick's roller-coaster script and
Rob Baker's excellent direction.
At times, the audience laughed hysterically; the next
minute, sorrow and tension hung in the air.
In the opening scene, Jeffrey, finds himself in the
throes of passion with one of his many lovers when the subject of safe sex comes up. At
this point, the scene breaks into one of many of the play's fantasy-dreamscapes where
Rudnick drops potent ideas in regard to homosexuals and the misconceptions that surround
them. The breakaway scenes provide some of the most humorous moments in the play.
From here the play leads the audience through the life
of any man facing the harsh reality of todays AIDS epidemic.
Kyle Dibbern, Christian Nelson and Kevin Barratt join
Simpson and Barron in a gym workout for one of the many gut-busting scenes of the play.
Jenny Coyan continues the humorous tone in an AIDS
fund-raising scene, playing Ann Marwood Bartle, a wealthy woman leading the night's
activities.
Clyde McNeal and Frank Kubat portray a gay couple who
are close friends with Jeffrey. McNeal and Kubat each gives his character a nice depth and
realism.
Other standouts include Ree Davis- Stone, who plays
different roles in the play all hilarious; Bill Wassem, who also plays a number of roles,
the most humorous as Angelique, a pre-surgical male cross-dressing lesbian; and Timothy
Rener and Kevin Barratt, who do a good job in the roles they play.
Wes Clowers, who also does an exceptional job with the
stage design, performs well as Father Dan a Catholic priest. But here Rudnick will push
the envelope of good taste with some. The play does contain some rough language and adult
themes, and may not be appropriate for children.
All proceeds from the play will benefit ,the programs
of the Nebraska AIDS project as SNAP Productions continues its goal of creating community
awareness of AIDS-related issues.
With the production of "Jeffrey," SNAP and
the Firehouse continue a path of communication. Through the humorous and realistic themes
of the play, the audience is not only entertained but also enlightened. |
