Parian has struck gold in casting actors who perfectly capture the tormented natures of these characters. P.J. Marshall and Jacqueline Axton match each other’s intensity and sexual chemistry with a crackling ferocity.
Marshall’s Eddie, a second-rate rodeo rider, exudes a gritty exterior that masks his internally conflicted feelings for May.
Meanwhile, Axton’s wickedly complex version of May toys with Eddie as she throws emotional obstacles in his path at every turn.
The power these gifted actors bring to the stage is thrilling to watch as they perform their emotionally abusive dance.
Their excellent work, however, is derailed at times by other aspects of the production.
An old man, played by Cooper Steve Anderson, watches the proceedings from a stage-right platform, occasionally offering commentary.
Anderson’s stilted delivery, coupled with inconsistent lighting changes credited to designer Henrik Mansourian, bring the show to a grinding halt each time his character enters the picture. This codger’s secret double life has created the incestuous position in which Eddie and May now find themselves.
Seemingly, he represents nagging memories rather than an actual person inhabiting the same time and space as the primary characters.
So, when director Parian has him physically hand Eddie a bottle of whiskey at one point late in the show, it completely destroys the illusion.
Later in the play, actor Rick Nyholm appears in the role of Martin, a local hayseed with whom May has arranged a date.
Nyholm has a good handle on the bewilderment his character experiences when thrust into the surreal situation.
There’s even a touch of fear on his part as Eddie’s unpredictable nature hits its peak.
Still, it would add needed tension had Nyholm and his director chosen for Martin to stand up to Eddie a bit more, thereby creating a head-to-head standoff.
The aforementioned lighting quibbles notwithstanding, scenic designer Elna Kordijan does a nice job of depicting the motel room’s seediness. One big issue remains. There’s a lot of stomping and door slamming.
Given this theater’s intimacy, it would have been much easier on the audience’s senses had the motel room floor been carpeted.
DINK O’NEAL is an actor and member of the American Theatre Critics Assn.
