little triggers
Written by Daniel Caffrey
Directed by Allison Shoemaker
Side Project Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis (map)
thru Feb 12 | tickets: $15 | more info
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Take a scissors to the script and let the actors run loose
The Ruckus presents
little triggers
Review by K.D. Hopkins
The problem with preconceived notions is that they don’t often play out as well as they do in one’s mind. I had high hopes of being entertained with an innovative script and the promise of puppets to boot. I came away a bit disappointed with little triggers. After lavishing praise on The Ruckus for All Saint’s Day, I confess that I was hungry for more of the same brilliant writing, frenetic pace, and nuanced performances. I went away with an empty belly.
What is supposed to play out as either sinister, comic, or surreal comes across as ponderous and plodding. The interplay between Martin and the Man in Coveralls plays like shoddy improv. Neal Starbird, as the menacing Man in Coveralls, comes to seemingly repair the copier, but really to jolt Martin out of his creative inertia. The noisy business of gutting the copier and hiding the floss inside falls flat because of the dead pacing.
There is the gimmick of having F.W. Murnau‘s "Nosferatu" playing on a computer screen and Martin explaining his love of movie monsters. I was more interested in watching Max Schreck as the vampire in the silent classic than the interplay between these two characters.
The next character to enter is The Man in Floss. Derek Van Barham brings some much-needed levity with his exaggerated Cockney accent, hallucinogenic tea and special gingerbread cookies. However, the levity can be stretched only so far. Man in Floss is there to keep Martin on the office drone path and stay true to the corporate American path. His motives are more sinister than the Man in Coveralls but by the time his plan is revealed it’s of little consequence.
There are some fun moments in little triggers that don’t feel quite fully connected to the plot, including the hydras exploding from the copier and the wall. Additionally, the giant corporate vulture is pretty cool and I wish it had a speaking role or was around longer.
The play places a lot of emphasis on the puppetry and lists puppeteers, puppet designers, and puppet consultants in the program. Yes, there are puppets mostly seen as shadows, with the exception of the vulture. If The Ruckus wants to make such a big deal out of the craft of puppetry, they need to step up their game. The shadow puppets are not that impressive. The whole Tooth Fairy story is enjoyable in how it ties into the Man in Floss, but otherwise it is a wasted device.
The main problem with little triggers comes down to the writing and direction. It isn’t clear if this is supposed to be a play with Absurdist leanings or if playwright Daniel Caffrey is blending fable and Magical Realism. The play needs to be trimmed by at least thirty minutes and the direction needs to pick up the pace.
What is supposed to be tension between characters is more of a staring contest. One sees flashes of Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson in Starbird’s Man in Coveralls character when he huffs aerosol cleaner and spouts non sequiturs. If one is going to play an unhinged psycho covered in toner, it’s good to emulate the best.
There is potential in little triggers. Take a big pair of scissors to the script and let the actors cut loose.
Rating: ★½
little triggers continues through February 12th at Side Project Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis (map), with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets are $15, and are available online at BrownPaperTickets.com. More information at RuckusTheater.org. (Running time: 2 hours, which includes one 15-minute intermission)
All photos by Lucas Gerard Photography
artists
cast
Derek Van Barham (Man in Floss); Rob Grabowski (Mr. Bahnson); Kevin Lambert (Martin); Neal Starbird (Man in Coveralls); Liz Goodson, Suzanne Keyes, Jennifer Roehm (Puppeteers); Stevie Chaddock Lambert* (Puppet Captain)
