[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of “Back Porch” written by Eric Anderson and directed by Kelie McIver at the Victory Theatre through July 9.
New plays are always an exciting prospect. Los Angeles is a theatre town, despite NY insisting it is not. The Victory Theatre Center prides itself in supporting and promoting emerging talent, and with the latest offering of “Back Porch,” their wonderful tradition continues.
“Back Porch” is set in small-town Kansas in the 50s, 1955 to be exact, and revolves around one family and the effects a major Hollywood movie production has on their small sleepy town and their apparently peaceful lives.
The home is occupied by a father, his two sons, and their paying house guest, a local music teacher. The two sons, one around 10 and the other just about to graduate high school have been raised by their father after their mother died shortly after the youngest was born. The father never really got over the death of his wife and, although he has tried his best, he feels he could have done more for them and hopes that his eldest, with a scholarship to a teacher’s college, will fare better in life than he. Their neighbor, Millard, offers emotional support and almost nightly dinners as a way to relieve some of the pressures of a single parent and their lives are good. But the film coming to town brings to the eldest son, Gary, an excitement he never dreamed possible and a chance to explore his closeted longings for other men.
While he falls in love with the leading man’s stunt double and their relationship becomes more and more obvious to his family, the story turns. But nothing is obvious in this beautifully written play and what might have become a story about prejudice turns out to be about love and acceptance and the kind of unconditional understanding that should seem astonishing…but somehow, within the confines of these particular people and how we get to know them, is actually a very natural and wonderful thing.
The characters and richly drawn and wonderfully real. The performances are absolutely brilliant. Truly. In fact, I fell in love with every single one of them. Even the grouchy music teacher. They are all so well written, so poignant and funny and fascinating. For a play set in the 50s, it felt very modern in many ways. But the angst was missing entirely. The hangups, the bigotry, the anger. And I loved that. It became a play about first love and finding who you are and want to be and forgiveness and acceptance and becoming.
What a wonderful and unexpectedly joyful play. Full of nuance and layers of light and dark. But ultimately, entirely hopeful. I absolutely loved it!!! Bravo!!!
Cast:
Barney Opat – Karl Maschek
Gary Opat – Isaac W. Jay,
Del Wayne Opat – Cody Lemmon
Bill Holman – Jordan Morgan
Myron Uhrig – Eric Zak
Millard Goff – Jonathan Fishman
I urge you to see this play….
Tickets:
https://www.onstage411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=6327
Where:
Victory Theatre Center
3326 W. Victory Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505
When:
Running through July 9
Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 4pm