"Freak of Nature" at the Road Theatre
The Road Theatre, 14141 Covello St. #9D, Van Nuys, 818-785-6175
by Theresa Willis
While many Valley theatres find themselves sorting through the rubble of last month’s earthquake and looking for new “homes,” the Road Theatre emerges from the recent disaster amazingly unscathed. “Nothing even fell,” says Che’Rae Adams, director of the upcoming Freak of Nature by Ken Hanes. In fact, the Saturday after the earthquake, they were offering their incredibly sturdy facility—located in an industrial park at the end of Hazeltine in Van Nuys—as a temporary office for an area therapist who is displaced because of the earthquake. “At a time like this, people need to see their therapist,” says Adams.
The only effect of the quake on the theatre was the postponement of the opening of Freak of Nature to February 18. Ken Hanes’ new play about an actor-model finding self-worth in Los Angeles won second prize in the competition for the Los Angeles Playwrighting Award. “We feel very fortunate to premier this play. Other theatres approached Ken,” says Adams. But Hanes feels a natural allegiance to the Road, as he and Adams have worked closely in the development of Freak for about a year. “Che’Rae’s background in working with playwrights in development has been a tremendous boon for me.” The two continue refining the play throughout the rehearsal process.
This playwright/director working relationship is a signature passion for the Road Theatre. Only new plays are included in their season, and as their reputation for quality increases, so do their submissions. They receive between five and fifteen a week and can only choose four to five for their season.
Out of all those submissions, what attracted Che’Rae Adams to Freak of Nature? “It’s a journey I’ve been on myself—and am still on, to a certain extent. It’s more than coming of age—it’s coming into your own in Los Angeles. You sift through the glitter and dust of this town and, through trial and error, you find out where you fit in. Plus, in commercial terms, it’s hilarious.” Ken Hanes says his play is a “very Los Angeles story, taking place in L.A., New York, heaven and hell. People recognize themselves and people they know in the characters. It reflects what many of us have gone through—being brought to this city under many different circumstances, all revolving around some fact of the entertainment industry.”
The play examines a seven-year span in the life of Jo-Jo (played by Ken Sawyer), a model turned actor. Through memory and fantasy scenes, we see the progression of this young man whose beauty has an effect on people that he doesn’t understand. From outside, it seems he would have every reason to be a poster child for high self-esteem, but inside he feels like a fish out of water. He doesn’t trust other people’s motives, as well he shouldn’t. The more successful he gets, the more the people in his life want a piece of him. The characterizations of those surrounding Jo-Jo are wryly satirical, and portray the industry types that many of us are all too familiar with, such as a high-powered agent, scamming producers, a wealthy kiss-ass socialite, media executives, personal trainers, etc. Ken Hanes winds up his statement on personal facades comparing his protagonist with a side-show freak—a poignant and telling metaphor about the beauty myth.
Of the seven-member cast of Freak of Nature, four actors are members of the company. There are open auditions only if the director cannot satisfactorily cast within the membership. The Road’s membership of fifty covers a wide range of talent in all areas of production, so technically their shows maintain the same superiority as their performances. Perhaps this is due to the structuring of the group—all responsibilities are divided up by committees, leaving no one over-extended and all the bases covered. There are no dues for members, but they do have to work—a rare experience in a town where so many actors join groups purely for self-promotion, which results in a sort of “exposure-itis” (characterized by actors doing theatre for invisible casting agents, sending the audience out feeling as though they’d been “auditioned at” all evening).
Freak of Nature is another strong entry in a season of original plays that has earned consistent critical acclaim for the Road. The company itself is one of the few truly successful theatre groups in town, and isn’t plagued by the normal financial woes. They are heavily supported by various grants and donations, many from the entertainment industry itself. They are also quite successful in filling the theatre’s 49 seats. No small feat in any area of Los Angeles, much less in a remote Van Nuys industrial park.
Freak of Nature opens February 18 and runs through March 26 with an 8 PM curtain on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Tickets are $12.50 and may be reserved by calling the theatre at (818) 785-6175. ♦