3 g J u s t «art » July 21. 2QQÛ
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ivilization is in ruins and the people
of the future cower in their homes.
The sound of bombs dropping con
stantly reverberates through the air,
and the only solace for two isolated cou
ples is the promise of further fellowship
and the infrequent delivery of cake and
pastries by representatives of the Powers
That Be.
Welcome to the world of A Piece of
Cake, an experimental one-act play pre
sented by Portland’s Stark Raving The
atre. This piece is director Jim W ilhites
second production of a drama written by
Raymond J. Barry, a respected stage, film
Don
and television actor.
T he first couple the audience meets are
Albert (Thomas Beckett) and Marvin (Daniel
Flint). Albert is manic and pushy and is deter
mined to leave the safety of their home to
search out their neighbors. Marvin agrees with
everything Albert says, and seems almost child
like. They eventually meet Ruth (Megan Har
ris) and Buford (Jared Roylance), a young mar
ried couple who have ceased having sex for fear
of spreading disease. Ruth is at first nervous to
meet her neighbors, then loosens up when she
gets drunk. Buford wants to share his body with
his wife but feels conflicted for reasons he
doesn’t understand.
W hen Herman (Don Baham) arrives bear
ing cake and cookies, relationships start to
unravel and new alliances are formed. Are
Albert and Marvin gay lovers, spies for the
government, or something else? Will Ruth’s
revelation bring about the death of her hus
band, or her own? And what role does the cake
man have in it all?
A Piece of Cake is not always an easy play to
like. Some of the language is didactic and— at
least on opening night— the energy and deliv
ery of the actors was almost too strong. But,
for gay audience members, it poses a complex
conundrum: While Barry’s script seems gay-
friendly and places the blame for AIDS and its
death toll squarely on the government’s shoul
ders, the anti-gay language spouted by almost
every character is squirm-inducing.
1 didn’t know whether to he offended or
not, hut in a play that relies so heavily on alle
gory, such uncertainty is to be expected. Still,
Baham delivers the sweets to Thomas Beckett
even allegory can have too-negative implica
tions, and the fact that homosexuality is gener
ally treated in this play as an element of betray
al— or something to he vehemently denied—
left me feeling more discomfited than 1 believe
the playwright and crew intended.
The cast members are credible in their
roles, though Daniel H int’s simpler character
allowed him much more ability to win over the
audience. Jared Roylance gets the meatiest
emotional scenes to act and acquits himself
well, and Megan Harris plays her closing scenes
very strongly. Staging, props and lighting are
extremely minimalist, but functional.
Hard to classify completely, A Piece of Cake
would best be labeled an allegorical dark come
dy. Unfortunately, gay audiences may find that
the allegories are not pleasant ones. If you like
theater that challenges and unsettles you, give
this show a try; if you want more lighthearted
entertainment, it’s best to look elsewhere.
Note: This play contains male and female
nudity and adult language. It may not he suit
able for younger audiences.
■ A P iece OF C ake plays Fridays and Saturdays
through Aug. 12 at Theater Theatre, 3430 S.E.
Belmont St. For tickets call the box office at
(503) 232-7072.
A ndy M angels is a kmgtime Portland enter
tainment writer u/ith three books and hundreds of
comic books and magazine articles to his credit.
You can write him at AMangehSW@aol.com.