Revenge, Mwa Ha Ha: Austinst Reviews Decameron Day 7

Ah, the Decameron. Proof that even medieval folk can get down and dirty. It suggests the “soap opera” is not merely a contemporary cultural phenomenon – but instead a timeless beacon of truth a la tragedy, forever nestled comfortably in the very fabric of that ridiculous farce…humanity.

At least that’s what the Rude Mechs think – as, with their usual aplomb, they’ve taken Boccaccio’s famed allegory and mashed it together with modern soap opera, random dance breaks (complete with some phenomenal air drumming), and enough of self-referential comedy to fill Genoa City.

Standard fare from these brazen theatrical malfeasants? Kind of. If you’re familiar with the Rudes, you’re used to their imaginatively staged, fast paced, high volume productions. But beware. While Decameron Day 7: REVENGE is, in many ways, cut from the usual cloth (and is therefore of a higher-caliber than much, if not most of the other work that goes on in Austin), it feels distinctly different than the other Rude work we’ve seen.

Different good? Different bad? It’s all waiting for you after your journey into the expand-o-tron!

The primary convention (dare we say, the gimmick) of this show is the pre-recorded soap opera that guides the action. While, in actuality, it only serves as a backdrop to what takes place on stage, let us take a moment anyway to praise Shawn Sides and company for an amazing job. A production element that could’ve been easily overlooked or thrown together (it was created by a theatre company, after all), is instead a well-observed, highly professional piece of satire that left us laughing till we cried.

While the world of Harbor Cove (the play’s fictitious soap opera) played out on the big screen, the actors re-created the story live – in unison with their taped performances. (We can’t possibly imagine how long it took to get that right!) While the entire cast is strong, Jason Liebrecht (as Massimo) is incredibly specific, physically engaged, and full of thought – simply fantastic. Additionally, Thomas Graves (as Nick), Lana Lesly (as Felicia), Heather Hanna (as Bridget) all give standout performances.

This live element presented some great contortions of theatrical/televisual convention, but because TV dialogue moves considerably slower and demands a more understated performance than most live theatre, the projection also dictated a decidedly un-Rude Mechs pacing for the majority of the show. More subdued than usual, this choice gave us time to put together more of playwright Kirk Lynn’s divergent intellectual banter than we’re generally able (which was great). But, despite the interjection of dance numbers and (incredibly funny) scenes advocating maniacal, everyday methods for revenge, the show only really opened up when the taped segments had finished – almost as if the performance had been confined, and was only at the end allowed to truly get out and stretch.

Possibly in reaction to this, the delightfully random, ridiculously creative component that is central to every Rude Mechs show is somewhat different in Decameron. The piece focuses less on presenting a set of ideas that converge to stimulate a greater understanding of self/performance/society/etc, and more on cracking jokes. While we miss the “greater understanding of humanity” vibe that permeates most of their work, Decameron is, nonetheless, flat out hilarious.

With all that in mind, we’ve decided this is a good Rude Mechs starter show. If you’re one of those Austinites that’s been avoiding the Rudes because you think you’re not “smart enough” (or whatever) to understand “artsy theatre” (whatever the hell that is) – this production will break you of those silly misconceptions, and will be the perfect introduction to a group of artists you should really get to know.

(As a parting note, we have to mention that Max Darlington kicks ass in his cameo as Nick’s son Jack. Max, the sooner we see you up on stage with the rest of the Rudes, the better! Dear readers: you can only truly understand by seeing it for yourself.)

*Photo courtesy of the Official Michelle Stafford Site

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