No Kidding
A lot of Mr. Marmalade is shocking and hilarious. But its concept wears thing.
"I've carved out some time," says he, beaming at the little woman like he's God's gift. "Thirty minutes?" she asks, pathetically hopeful. "Ten," he insists, never losing his unctuous smile.
Oh, it's the oldest story in the world. Except that she — Lucy — is 4 years old. And he is Mr. Marmalade, her imaginary friend.
Noah Haidle's funny and frustrating Mr. Marmalade gives us a window into Lucy's world, and let me tell you — it's no walk in the park being a suburban preschooler. Lucy and her imaginary pals (in addition to MM, there's Bradley, his brownnosing personal assistant) have a relationship that is, to put it mildly, roller-coaster-ish. Dainty tea parties turn venomous with abuse, broken promises and an omnipresent sense of potential violence. And when Lucy finally meets a real playmate her own age — Larry — he's both suicidal and sexually aggressive. (Haidle's play calls for Lucy and Larry to be played by adults, which is probably the only way he could get away with it.)
A lot of Mr. Marmalade is shocking and hilarious. Better still, Haidle is on to something here — that children's inner lives can be simultaneously presexual and sexual, and that their emotions are big and dark. Sure, the parents are partly responsible (Lucy's single mother brings home one-night stands). But maybe, just maybe, some of these fantasies come directly from their weird little-kid brains.
Yet clever as Mr. Marmalade is, ultimately the concept wears out long before the 80-minute running time is over — and Haidle never finds the note of raw desperation that would give it real depth.
Joe Canuso's production buzzes with wonderful touches and accomplished performances. Tiny Amanda Schoonover, with her jolie-laide looks and razor's-edge timing, could have been born to play Lucy; Jeb Kreager's oafishness, which can be lovable and scary at the same time, is perfect for Mr. Marmalade. There's excellent work from the supporting cast, especially Robert DaPonte (Larry), Dan Hodge (Bradley) and Matt Pfeiffer (in multiple roles). Matt Saunders' scenery and Millie Hiibel's costumes provide good jokes of their own. Yet fine though it all is, I think the production also could use more of a sense of the underlying bleakness.
I recommend Mr. Marmalade unhesitatingly to those seeking the edgy and outré, and not easily shocked. The evening I attended, the audience was wildly enthusiastic. (For potential viewers Lucy and Larry's age, there's probably other Christmastime entertainment that would work better.)
Mr. Marmalade
Through Nov. 25, Theatre Exile, theatreexile.org
Also In This Week's Arts Section
Comments
Be the first to comment on this article.