DEVIANT
nytheatre.com review by Soline McLain
August 15, 2002
For a play with subject matter that could be offensive to some,
Deviant is so well directed, staged, and acted that the
piece is both hilarious and disturbing…just what a FringeNYC
show should be! As the audience enters the Kraine Theatre for a
performance of Deviant, the actors are already onstage
welcoming them to a fetish club. (But don’t be frightened away,
this is not an audience participation show.) In Deviant,
excerpts from actual phone sex conversations are interspersed
with the central story of a man (Marshall) who gets turned on by
bugs being squashed by high-heeled shoes. At the fetish club, he
hires a girl who does not like people so only "fucks" carrots.
They each go on to tell their stories of the development of
their "deviant" sexual behaviors. Randy Harrison (of the series "Queer as Folk") and Marci Adilman are strong central figures as Marshall and the "Carrotfucker," respectively. Both actors manage to make their characters endearing to the point that one begins to feel sorry for those who do not seem to have "normal" sexual lives. Supporting Harrison and Adilman is a strong ensemble of stellar performers who play multiple roles from phone sex operators to characters from Marshall and the Carrotfucker’s past. Some of the funniest moments are found in the surrealist "ballets" of the piece, one of which is between Marshall’s parents, while the other is between Guilt and Lust. Sara Trachtenberg and Emily Parker both stand out with their expressive characterizations in their various roles. Rob DeRosa’s "Satanfucker" monologue is also a highlight of the show.
Directors Melissa Boswell and Jane Steinberg (along with the help of fight choreopgrapher Jim Cairl) have done an extraordinary job in bringing Deviant and its unique characters to life. So, don’t be deviant, get out there and see Deviant!
