THE MISADVENTURES OF SPY MATTHIAS (skulking through April 4th)
is a heartwarming, thigh slapping, eye rolling love story. Scrap that. It’s a
flagrantly naughty cautionary tale…Nah. Not unless you are inclined to heed
voices from another dimension. I shall try again.
Joe Byers’ hilarious sexual (not to mention ontological) romp
is hitched to the perfect production at Theatre on Fire. Terry Torres and
director Darren Evans’ satirical projections (engineered by Deirdre Benson)
play on three screens above the actors, punctuating and enhancing the madness
beneath. Torres and Evans match every demented idea Byers throws at the play
with equally absurd animations.
Greg Maraio is simply irresistible as the spy/guy who finds
love in all the wrong places. Better make that ‘lust’ (until at long last,
love). I laughed and laughed: Mind you, I wanted to stop, for fear of missing
the next funny line, but I couldn’t despite myself. (I suspect Nitrous Oxide
was somehow involved.)
Each of Byers’ characters seems to have a delightfully
preposterous world to inhabit apart from any interaction with Matthias, making
you yearn to see them again, rather like the caterpillar or the Cheshire cat in
Alice’s Wonderland.
I’m still giggling over R. Nelson Lacey’s yodeling, karaoke-loving, marvelously
unprofessional physician….or Steve Auger’s brilliantly brazen, foot-whispering
shoe salesman.
And I haven’t even touched on Janelle Mills’ two tour de
force(s) as Matthias’ crazy, missing mother and his belligerent, gravel-voiced
father…or Adam Siladi’s creepy disabled veteran or Michael Ryan’s chronically
depressed actor. (Is there any other kind?)
Because Theatre on Fire has burned successfully through ten
years, tix are $10 and the laughter is free. Who could resist such a deal?
