Mysterious Skin: An amazing night of theater at East West Players

Last night I made my way up and out of Orange County to go see "Mysterious Skin," a play written by my friend and blogger pal, Prince Gomolvilas, which is now enjoying its Los Angeles premiere at East West Players.

I have to say, I was in a hurry last night, so while flying up the 110 freeway, I worked to make my mind an empty slate about what I thought the play was going to be like.  I knew only that it was going to be shocking.

True, I had heard the play (based on Scott Heim's novel) was "adult" and gay-themed, but other than this, I attempted to keep my understanding of what to expect last night as spoiler-free as possible.

I wanted to absorb as much as possible last night completely free of preconceptions.  

Luckily,  I actually made it to my seat just in time to hear a lovely introduction by the play's director, Tim Dang, before the show began.  And I'm so grateful I was there for the first night of the run.  

"Mysterious Skin" is, without a doubt, one amazing night of theater:  It is undeniably powerful, most certainly shocking and unexpectedly haunting.

It is certainly not a show for faint of heart.  Trust me:  I'm an Orange County, mom, so I can vouch that you should leave Grandma and the kids at home for this one.  However, for the rest of us living in 2010, it was a very moving, memorable theatrical experience.  

Everything, from the cast to the elegantly paced direction, exemplified what kind of magic happens when talented people come together and focus on a shared vision.  This was evident last night.

I have to admit, that while watching "Mysterious Skin" I was reminded of another play,"Angels in America," which was similar to this production in a variety of ways. Although it is hardly derivative of Tony Kuschner's "Angels in America" there are some parallel aspects to both plays.  I won't give away any spoilers, but the parallels are not just in the narrative, but also in the kind of writing that just jumps off the page.  It's at turns, terse, funny and unexpectedly moving, all woven together into an astonishing ensemble piece all reminding me how fortunate I was to have seen this particular production with this cast at this time.  I know how rare it is for everything to come together so seamlessly as this ensemble piece does with such elegance.

Performances such as David Huynh's work as Neil in the play, as well as Scott Keiji Takeda's Brian, each provide a lovely counterpoint to the other.  One graceful, bold and evocative, the other character eerily imploding under the weight of his character's burden.  A moving journey through unexpected territory, thanks to the combined talent of both Heim and Gomolvilas.

Huyhn exudes a cat-like, mercurial physicality, bringing to mind the work of James Dean. This actor's work is simply breathtaking.  He unselfconsciously brought an emotional transparency to the writing without ever "showing" us he was doing so.  If you don't know what playing the subtext is, yet, then watch Huynh and you will.

Also extremely moving and memorable was the work of actress, Elizabeth Liang, who brought a notable depth, warmth and humor to her part as Avalyn.  Her ability to expose the rich layers of her character was really astonishing.

Prince Gomolvilas, displayed a true talent for balancing crisp, humorous dialogue along with moments of unexpectedly poetic imagery.  Particularly memorable is the intro to act two, as well as those lyrical monologues, each giving his characters uniquely haunting, and arresting dialogue which has since lingered in my mind long after leaving the theater.

Also, of note, of course, was Heim's original novel which ultimately was the entire basis of this arresting night of theater.  "Mysterious Skin" plays with the shifting terrain of memory and mystery in ways I didn't expect -- let's just say it's not your usual storyline.

Actor and actress alert: This play contains a goldmine of wonderful monologues. Better come see them here, first, before they all end up in one of those actor's monologue anthologies and you find out you missed your chance to snag them first.  You can thank me later for this.

All in all, last night was the first night of a ground-breaking theatrical run which I can honestly say was as memorable as it was thought provoking.  I can't recommend it enough.




MYSTERIOUS SKIN

By Prince Gomolvilas
Based on the novel by Scott Heim
Directed by Tim Dang
This searing drama follows the story of a boy who believes he was once abducted by aliens. All roads lead back to a childhood classmate, now a hustler, who holds the key to the terrifying and heart-breaking truth. Due to its subject matter, graphic language and nudity, MYSTERIOUS SKIN is intended for mature audiences.


EAST WEST PLAYERS
THE DAVID HENRY HWANG THEATER
120 Judge John Aiso Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-7000 telephone
info@eastwestplayers.org


Performance Runs:
September 9 - October 10, 2010
Wednesday - Saturday @ 8:00 p.m.
Sundays @ 2 p.m.