Los Angeles Theater Review: THE UNFRYABLE MEATNESS OF BEING (Pacific Resident Theatre)

Los Angeles Theater Review: THE UNFRYABLE MEATNESS OF BEING (Pacific Resident Theatre)
by Tom Chaits on August 29, 2014
in Theater-Los Angeles

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If you are one of the many theatergoers who caught Pacific Resident Theatre’s production of Out There on Fried Meat Ridge Road (and possibly the special Christmas follow-up) during its unprecedented 6-month run, then you’ll likely be anticipating the third installment, The Unfryable Meatness of Being. If you missed Out There you might want to consider attending the special Sunday back-to-back productions of both plays. The double bill is sure to deliver a rewarding one-two punch to the uninitiated. While it is not absolutely required that you are familiar with the original, the enjoyment level is certainly enhanced if you have seen the first.

Unfryable returns us to the seedy West Virginia motel room inhabited by JD (Keith Stevenson), a man of questionable origins, and his down-on-his-luck roommate Mitchell (Neil McGowan). The odd couple is frequently visited by neighbor Marlene (Kendrah McKay) and owner Flip (Michael Prichard). When JD is challenged by Dr. Jorgen (Brad Greenquist)—a “devilish” cult leader—all hell breaks loose and a good deal of insanity and zany humor ensues.

Playwright Keith Stevenson has a way with words and a cockeyed view of the world which is at its least amusing and at its best hilarious. The characters are all clearly defined without becoming cartoony. It can be a shaky endeavor when the author also stars in the show but Mr. Stevenson is terrific in the role of JD. Under the direction of Guillermo Cienfuegos, he and the entire cast all turn in stellar performances. Mr. Cienfuegos’ brisk direction keeps the action moving and the audience engaged for the 90-minute two-act (the one-act Out There runs just over an hour).

Make no mistake about it: this is not hoity-toity theater. This is down-and-dirty low-brow humor that knows well enough not to take itself too seriously. If you’re in the mood for some mindless but very funny shenanigans you will be well-served by Unfryable. With summer coming to an end and the world falling apart around us a major dose of chuckles could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Fried Meat 3: The Unfryable Meatness of Being
Pacific Resident Theatre
707 Venice Boulevard in Venice
Thurs – Sat at 8, Sun at 4:30
scheduled to end on September 7, 2014
for tickets, call (310) 822-8392 or visit www.pacificresidenttheatre.com
– See more at: http://www.stageandcinema.com/2014/08/29/unfryable-meatness-of-being