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![_Heat Things Up With <em>Desire</em> at the Blanton [Art Preview]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2010/02/minter-thumb-110x110-478584.jpg)
Heat Things Up With Desire at the Blanton [Art Preview]
Thurs-Sat, April 30 - May 30
Hyde Park Theatre (511 W. 43rd. Street)
All shows 8 pm, Thurs pay what you can, Fri/Sat $18 reg, $16 student/senior
[info] | [tickets]
He’s spent many of those years at the Hyde Park Theatre, bringing to life countless plays that are hilarious and dark, and often at the same time. The thing about Webster and his domain—upon first glance we have but one man and one small room—is that both, rather than exhibiting signs of age, continue to hold up remarkably, amazingly, shape-shiftingly well.
It’s something bordering on incomprehensible to contemplate how Webster can, time and again so utterly inhabit whatever character he is playing. His one-man shows are particularly magic as typically he will be onstage for a full ninety minutes— set totally spare, props precious few—and yet leave an audience feeling, as they stand to applaud (almost always the case) like they have been fully transported into another creature’s bizarre universe.
And he’s done it again, reviving the popular one-man show, House, written by Daniel MacIvor, that he’s brought to the stage two other times over his history at the theater.
Like the characters Webster is most fond of, Victor is, to put it mildly, a cynical chap. The show opens, literally, with a bang (more than one, really). It doesn’t take but a moment to realize you’re in the presence of a type of greatness—in this case, great anger. Listening to Victor wax on (and on) about everything that frustrates and pisses him off feels like what might occur if you were to sit down and actually let that guy at the bus stop—or in the grocery store, or on the next barstool over—really just cut loose and tell you how it is from his perspective.
We often, understandably, shy away from such overly-open encounters in real life. Probably for good cause. Likely few of them would net us the sort of sometimes frightening, sometimes enlightening, often funny (though maybe not intended as such) insight Victor offers into the mind of one who has failed to realize his dreams, doesn’t much like the estranged wife he nonetheless misses, and who isn’t having much success coming to grips with these things, despite work in group therapy. Which, yes, of course, also pisses him off (the group, the lack of progress).
When Webster chooses to present tar-black shows, he pulls it off every time. This is an occasion where he has chosen to revive a character that surely doesn’t run the risk of ever approaching sweetness and light. And yet, we sympathize with Victor, laugh at a number of his observations, and really feel for him. Even if you’ve seen Webster in many shows, you will forget you’re watching Webster the actor portraying a fictional creation, and believe, very much, that you are in the presence of Victor who might be sorry, though you won’t be for having met him.
House runs through May 30, 2009.
Full Disclaimer: Spike's show, The Dick Monologues, has also been playing at Hyde Park Theatre for the past several years.
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