OPined May 5, 2006

Based on a Totally True Story -- By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa; directed by Michael Bush

WITH: Carson Elrod (Ethan Keene), Erik Heger (Tyler, Apple Boy, Kim's Guy and Hot L.A. Guy), Kristine Nielsen (Mary Ellen), Pedro Pascal
(Michael Sullivan) and Michael Tucker (Ethan's Dad).

Sets by Anna Louizos; Costumes by Linda Cho; Lighting by Traci Klainer

Presented by Manhattan Theater Club. At City Center, Stage II, 131 West 55th Street, Manhattan, (212) 581-1212. Through May 28.
Running time: 2 hours.


“We’re going to Sears.”  Who knew this was a laugh line?  

Better yet, who knew Michael Tucker was funny?  Not me.  And he’s not the only one in this, well, absolutely charming production.  Charming isn’t
exactly the word I was thinking of.  Engaging, intriguing, full-bbodied.  Hmnnn.  Sounds like a wine.

This production is oddly reminiscent of two productions that have recently seen the successful light of day – Little Dog Laughed and [title of show].  
Using a format that alternately eliminates and utilizes the fourth wall between the actors and audience.  In particular the nearly identical use of backlit
cubes as background and isolated telephone conversations.  Here, however, the conversations move from isolation to relationship with just the slightest
of adjustments – an excellent touch.

It is the story of a writer who is writing about writing his story.  Yeah, I know.  It could give a person motion sickness.  Except that Aguirre-Sacasa
immediately establishes a acute verbal skills and quick pace so that we are moving along with the characters as if we were freeloading on a steeplechase
event.  Our Boy Writer is employed writing a comic book super hero.  This always comes as a revelation to me – that comic books are written, not just
spawned.  Boy Writer, like the agent in Little Dog tells us the story and then as in [title of show] chooses to show us the story of how he turned his life
into a move script.  

Within this story of boy wanting to make good are other tales looping in and out like varicolored draedels.  Boy meets boy.  Boy’s father is having a crisis
and thinking of ending his marriage.  Boy has phone relationship with a producer in Hollywood, (played by Kristin Nielsen who gives new meaning to the
word ‘recycle’ as she undermines her role by mugging her way through it).  And, as Boy travels his story line, he intersects with a series of four iconic
characters presented by Eric Heger who give us a small sliver of life outside this Boy’s bubble.

For the most part, the conceit and the excellent performances buoy us along without a hitch.  There are actual causes for belly laughs.  There are
moments of immense tenderness.  There are flashed of stupidity.  Where the material snags us is in the  moments at which emotional conflict is hit dead
center.  It’s at this point the writer backs away as if frightened by his own accuracy.  He needn’t be.  This is an adventure of the heart and mind that is
chock-a-block full of the good stuff.  It’s like chocolate without the calories.

Hot-foot it over there.