While Cal Poly Humboldt stages Greek tragedy, above the Arcata Plaza, the Exit Theatre presents Getting Dark: Three One-Act Comedies by local playwright Daniel Lehman. The theme of getting dark is presented differently in each vignette where Lehman asks heavy questions in light ways without ever getting saccharine.
The first, Is He Sick? is an absurdist look at life and death. The characters are all unreliable narrators who keep us second-guessing motives and the direction of the plot. It puts a funhouse mirror to the ways people respond to death and those left living. The second, This Is My Spot!, offers social commentary on inequity that sets characters existing in opposite socio-economic classes right next to each other. What starts as a lighthearted compare-and-contrast of their different lifestyles gets dark by its resolution. First we are shown what they have in common, then we see how much greater the differences are.
The third comedy, The Stump, is a wry look down the barrel of middle-age companionship, or lack thereof. The darkness here is the cynicism gained after failed relationships, stifling any new possibilities. Here, two entirely different people meet in the redwood forest and antagonize each other. Their attitudes change toward the end, but the resolution is not a pat one.
Heather Petersteiner and Larry Crist play couples in Is He Sick? (Nadia and Yuri) and This Is My Spot! (Emily and Clark). It’s a delight to see such contrasting portrayals by these experienced actors back to back. Kimberly Haile and Victor Howard are similarly paired off in Is He Sick? (Mila and Doctor) and The Stump (Elena and Ted). Their respective characters and relationships are also a study in opposites, both within and between the shorts. Amadeus Garcia Brown (Jake) and James Wright (Doug) round out the cast in “This is My Spot!” Brown and Wright’s portrayals of life on the streets point out the vast differences between individuals that have ended up in the same tough spot.
The Exit Theatre is one of the smallest in the area. Every time I have seen a performance there, I felt more invested in the story than in larger venues. Getting Dark is especially suited to the intimacy. Each comedy is very brief — the whole performance taking less than an hour — but the close quarters allow us to pick up on the nuances the actors offer in their characters. Director Wendy Butler uses the small space to good effect and doesn’t let the funny bits smooth over the sharp, uncomfortable truths mixed in. The vignettes are entertaining but also offer an opportunity for interesting discussions on life, love and the choices we make in the circumstances we’re given.
The Exit Theatre’s production of Getting Dark continues Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m.
Doranna Benker Gilkey (she/her) is a longtime Humboldt County resident and can often be found at her store Dandar’s Boardgames and Books in Arcata.
NOW PLAYING
The Logger Bar revives the popular Logger Legends, Liars and Lookers, its boozy, musical family reunion this week with performances Nov. 13-16. Tickets at Eventbrite.
COMING SOON
North Coast Repertory Theatre presents A Christmas Carol at the 5th and D Street Theater from Nov. 14-Dec. 7. Visit ncrt.net.
This article appears in Green-and-Gold Washing on the Menu?.