True Love Lies. Half-priced tickets. One night only. On sale now.
Don't say we never did nothin' for you.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Joel Beers' analysis of True Love Lies just hit the O.C. Weekly, and damn if it isn't a perfect example of why we love Mr. Beers' writing. Not because he always has nice things to say about us (he doesn't, but we forgive him), but because his insights into what he watches are always sharply observant and expressed with a fine eye for thematic detail:
"[Brad] Fraser’s True Love Lies, while containing its fair share of sexual situations and one intense beating, is anything but brutal or seedy. It is a beautifully rendered family drama that, in the hands of director Dave Barton, feels keenly empathetic and sincere....Tickets? Oh yes, we still have some. Take them off our hands, won't you?
"True Love Lies doesn’t say anything new about human relationships, sexual or otherwise. They’re just hard. Always have been, always will be, whether that relationship is between two lovers, a husband and wife, or parents and children. Like anything meant to last, they must be built brick by brick and worked on to prevent from collapsing. But when those bricks are built on a suspect foundation, as they are in the marriage in True Love Lies, it doesn’t take much to topple them.
"There are no black hats or white hats in this play, just people struggling for something authentic in a world filled with disappointments and distractions. People who choose, for whatever reason, to play certain roles at certain times because they desperately need to reconcile their private passions with social norms. Decisions are chosen, compromises made and, on some level, fingers are crossed in hopes that the latest costume is the one that will fit the best for the longest time."
Friday, July 16, 2010
Jordan Young of the LA/OC Arts Examiner has once more done us a mitzvah by reviewing True Love Lies, which we are (SPOILER ALERT) quite likely to shill for again at the conclusion of this post:
Brad Fraser’s witty and provocative new play... sparkles in its West Coast premiere at the Monkey Wrench Collective in Fullerton. ... It ponders the essence of love itself, both gay and straight, and the cost of telling the whole unvarnished truth to those we love most.As promised, the shill commences: you can buy your tickets for True Love Lies right here. $20 General / $10 Students.
Anthony B. Cohen gives a thoughtful performance as Kane, a family man who watches his life unravel bit by bit after revealing a long-held secret. Jill Cary Martin is superb as his understanding wife, Caroline; Sabrina Zellars adds spice and zest as their oversexed daughter, Madison. Rick Kopps excels as David, a face from Kane’s past. But it’s Christopher Basile who impresses most, with his portrayal of the angst-ridden teenaged son, Royce, whose acerbic humor masks the turmoil under the surface -- much like the play itself.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
And another review, this time from Backstage West. We're not trying to brag or anything here, but we'd be lying if we didn't admit to being damned pleased by all the praise coming in for this show. Did we mention that tickets are still available for this weekend's performances?
The text is a knowing combination of cynicism, wry humor and penetrating insights into human nature, and the acting styles of director Dave Barton's cast members mesh well, supporting Fraser's ideas while adding their own shadings... Monkey Wrench's production is an ensemble effort in every respect and a must-see for devotees of the art of theater.
O.C. Register critic Eric Marchese took in the opening weekend of True Love Lies last week, and has very kindly decided to publish his opinion for the world to see:
One might think that questions about the nature of love had been exhausted in centuries of literature and the theater, but Canadian playwright Brad Fraser always seems to find a new wrinkle or two to add to the issue....Tickets for True Love Lies are, perhaps not un-coincidentally, still available for purchase via our website.
Fraser pens insightful, often deep dialogue, yet his text is also archly funny, chock-full of terrific zingers... You won't find cheap, sitcom-style laughs in "True Love Lies," nor soapy melodrama. What you will find are numerous, dead-on one-liners sure to evoke bursts of laughter as well as private moments of such compelling emotional content you'll likely swallow hard and suppress a tear.
In a cast that's wonderful all around, [Rick] Kopps is outstanding in a complexly drawn, nuanced role – a worldly gay man who's as objective about himself as he is others. Kopps brings smiles, an easygoing manner and near-total candor to the role. His David exerts effortless command of those around him, harbors no illusions about life and has the healthiest ego of the play's five characters...
If the name of playwright Fraser sounds familiar, it could be because Rude Guerrilla Theater Company's production of his "Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love" helped put [Director Dave] Barton and Rude G on the map (indeed, the play's characters include the youthful David and Kane).
If this production is any indication, Fraser's new work is now doing the same thing for the fledgling Monkey Wrench.
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