December 16-22, 2004

artpicks

Fright Night

by Tami Fertig

Theater

Frustrated by a pile of rejection letters from Philadelphia theater companies, Joshua Kuhar took matters into his own hands. "It dawned on me one day that I could produce my own work," says the playwright, who recently founded Bacchus Theatre Company, a group devoted almost entirely to the underdogs around town. "There aren't any [Philadelphia] theater companies aggressively producing local writers' work," he says. "A lot of Philly playwrights need a break."

So far, Bacchus has only produced one other work—another of Kuhar's plays—but it was a memorable one. This September's Fringe Festival enthusiasts—and unwitting attendees who needed to tinkle at Amici Noi—might recall the love story of sorts, The Ladies Room, that took place in the Old City restaurant's bathroom. The company's second production, Haunt, opens this week and promises a longer-lasting experience (Ladies was a 12-minute quickie) in a sweeter-smelling venue. Kuhar's dark comedy follows a young married couple's battle with an unwelcome guest: a curious letter inviting the husband (Mike Smith) to audition for a new reality-TV-show blend of Survivor and Jerry Springer. Meanwhile, he suspects his wife (Melissa Connell) of foul play, and a surprise visit from his mother-in-law (Anne Bailis) only exacerbates the developing tension. While Kuhar resists revealing too much plot, he does anticipate audience members will "feel uncomfortable with the subject matter and will reevaluate their lives. It's not for the Rodgers and Hammerstein crowd."

Haunt, Dec. 17-Jan. 8, $22, Walnut Street Studio Theatre, Ninth and Walnut sts., fifth floor, 215-568-2400.