Torch Song Trilogy at StageWest

Good theater, well acted. Comedy, drama, sterling performances by a cast of great ability.

Last night I used the last of my season tickets to StageWest for this season. The play was Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein.

It is a funny play with great drama and moments that brought tears to my eyes. It is about a gay man's search for family, respect and acceptance and it is powerful.

I don't usually give a critical review. Sometimes I think I need to be more critical but the fact is I love theater. I especially love good theater and that is what this is. Besides being a well-written play it has everything I like in it. Particularly a great cast.

Arnold Beckoff – Brad Dell
Brad is an Assistant Professor of Theater at Iowa State University. He is a terrific actor running the full range and he does it beautifully. In many ways he is the glue that holds the play together. The play reviolves around him and it takes a very strong actor to be "on" for the four hours of this remarkable play.

Ed Reiss – Scott Siepker
Scott is also associated with Ames in that he has been in plays in Ames at Iowa State University and ACTORS. I have seen him before in StageWest and enjoyed him. He plays the conflicted Ed who doesn't know what he wants out of life.

Lady Blues – Matt Oleson
I have seen Drag performers for years. Some of them do lip-sync and others use their own voices. Matt plays the larger than life Lady Blues and he does a great job. He comes out in between the scenes in the first act and treats us to a performance. In some ways I was not sure why he was in the play because the play does not use him as anything other than a break but he is good and enjoyable and since the main character is a drag performer I suppose it fit.

Laurel – Amanda Mullen
Amanda is very good as the wife of Bi-sexual Ed and makes the most of a woman trying to understand the complicated desires of her husband.

Alan – Jacob Wittenauer
Jacob plays a model who loves Arnold and I enjoyed his characterization very much. Arnold avoids committing to him until they spend some time with Ed and Laurel..They play off each other beautifully and you know that they do love each other. In the end Alan gets this out of Arnold
Alan: I have a question.
Arnold: The answer is yes.
Alan: You don't even know what I was going to ask.
Arnold: Whatever it is, the answer is yes. I'm too tired to argue.
Alan: ...Good. Because I love you, too.

David – Tyler Lubinus
The adopted son of Arnold. This young man had been in and out of foster care. He was played beautifully by Tyler Lubinus if maybe a little too nice. I guess I would have expected more of an edge from this character but then again perhaps not. He is living in a safe, secure atmosphere for the first time in his life.

Mrs. Beckoff – Stacy Brothers
Stacy Brothers nails the Jewish Mother. She is a wonderful actress and she and Brad had me in tears (literally not just misty eyes) when they got into the argument about who had the right to mourn their dead partner. In the end when the fighting is over and she says to her son (and you know she has begun to understand the depth of the love he had felt for Alan)

Ma: Give yourself time, Arnold. It gets better... But, Arnold, it never goes away. You can work longer hours, adopt a son, fight with me, whatever... it'll still be there. But that's all right, it becomes a part of you, like learning to wear a ring or a pair of eyeglasses. You get used to it. And that's good. It's good, because it makes sure you don't forget. You don't want to forget him, do you?

All in all it was an extremely satisfying night in the theater and it runs through June 27. Ticket Information here.

Addendum.

Other reviews here and here.