Whether coping with sickness or tragedy, there’s something timeless about a story of prevailing friendship.
On Tuesday night, the play The Lonely Planet told a variation of this same story at the Stone Cup Cafe in Lyons. Starring Natives Jordan Brown and Samuel Tallent and written by Denver resident Steven Dietz, the play was an intimate piece that developed a friendship between two different men.
When waiting for the show to begin, the audience studied the starkly minimalist set. A bronze boat sits perched on the edge of a round table with books and a telephone; a giant atlas sits off to the side; and along the back wall three completely different looking maps are displayed.
As the show began, the set’s significance soon became apparent. Carl (Brown) and Jody (Tallent) are two friends with a flimsy and superficial friendship that later evolves into a strong bond. Throughout the production, Carl tries to show Jody the effects of HIV by bringing chairs into Jody’s map store. These chairs come to represent their friends who have died of HIV, as Carl tries to open Jody’s eyes to a reality beyond his map shop.
At the start the two actors seemed out of place and in their own individual worlds. Brown flung his body around awkwardly and seemed to slip in and out of character. Tallent followed him around shyly as if he were a ghost that occasionally spoke. They seemed like they were pulling away from each other rather than towards, and the crowded stage wasn’t much help as the two bumped into props almost throughout the entire performance.
Luckily the script was funny, quick and smart. As the well-written script progressed, the acting also improved. The actors fell into their roles and acted as if they really were two friends with an elephant in the room. Referred to as “the disease”, both characters fear they have contracted AIDS. At the end Carl finally convinces Jody to not only go outside but to get tested, an experience which opens up Carl. He comes back a changed man: full of life and unafraid to talk.
Brown pin-pointed the very science of dramatic pauses and knew exactly when it was time for his eccentric character to switch into serious. His whole body shifted, something very noticeable since he was always on the move. His tone and body language changed in such a way that the audience could feel something was coming.
Tallent delivered his monologues with pure finesse as if he really were a map specialist. He convincingly delivered lines about the simplicity of a map and how society perceives things. Though he was shy, his arc and development were clear and compassionate. He went from introverted to broken to yelling before finally reaching a place of stability in the second act.
The second act in itself was completely different from the first. Right from “curtains up” the friendship between the characters had clearly reached a new level. They spoke and acted differently, more in sync with one another after their big fight. Brown and Tallent never missed a single beat and their acting was pure and identifiable. They made more of an effort to connect with toned down gestures and body language, which translated as a new level of friendship to the audience.
The script seemed to take off running and somehow the actors not only kept up but mastered the pace. The dialogue was less spread out, their conversations stayed focused, and the drama wasn’t as explosive but took a calmer tone.
The change in Jody was instant. He no longer fumbled about and delivered with a total confidence that was lacking in act one. The humor came forth stronger too, evidenced in Carl’s first soliloquy. It was very funny and yet tender in concept, as he complained that stamps should have angry little pictures because they are put on envelopes that contain bills.
Brown especially shined in a scene where he broke down in a confession that had viewers sittting completely still. Each played their breaking point so dedicatedly it was an honor to watch. Both were stronger individually and their interactions with each other had also shifted. It seemed as honest as any relationship found in real life.
The Three Leaches theater company prides itself on doing minimum budget productions that are raw and real. They certainly delivered on that promise.
The show runs at the Stone Cup Cafe in Lyons, Colo., from Aug. 23-27 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $9 and the show is less than two hours with a 10-minute intermission.
