The Director's notes in the program for "The Altruists" read: "You have to imagine that you can wear NIKES and simultaneously protest sweatshops." This paradox sums up Tricklock Company's production of the new Nicky Silver play.
The Altruists is a farcical romp through the world of hypocrisy in activism. The play tells the tale of a merry band of eccentric East Village activists. Sydney, played by Juli Etheridge, is a flamboyant soap opera star of Montana Beach whose boyfriend, Ethan, played by Shenoah Allen, a spoken word womanizer, is having an affair with Cybil, played by Kerry Morrigan, a supposed lesbian who can't remember what the cause of the day is. Ronald, played by Byron Laurie, is a social worker whose pet projects include adopting Ethiopian children and saving prostitutes. His latest find, Lance, played by Mark Chavez, is a young prostitute/stoner with a flair for air drumming.
Without giving away too much of the plot, "The Altruists" takes many unexpected turns. In a fit of passion, Sydney commits murder, thinking the victim is her boyfriend.
By any means necessary, the rabble-rousers cover up the crime. To say "The Altruists" is a melodrama would be a gross understatement. Each character is a cartoon, led by Sydney, who gives a 10 minute soliloquy about mind-blowing sex and her fear of lesbians, among other things.
She owns the stage from the minute she enters until the surprising end. Shenoah Allen's comic brilliance is evident in many of Ethan's offbeat ramblings about sticking it to the man.
One of the funniest moments in the play is the debate over who has it worse: black lesbians or Hispanic gays. The cast does not have a weak link, and to single out best performances would be pointless.
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Watching the Tricklock Company is a joy, and there is no doubt that it is the finest working company in town. I wonder, however, about its politics in choosing "The Altruists" for its first production with its new name.
Formerly the Riverside Ensemble, Tricklock recently produced the much-needed and well-received Revolutions International Theatre Festival.
But for a group that claims to be revolutionary, "The Altruists" is a step backwards. Although the play and its playwright have elements of genius, the message behind it is that revolution is dead; that activists are self-centered hypocrites. Maybe the aim of producing "The Altruists" was self-deprecation.
Politics aside, Tricklock Company presents cutting-edge theater in a highly professional manner. The members constantly amaze me. Joe Pesce's direction is superb. He gets the actors to milk all moments onstage, including unintended ones. Ronald and Sydney are brother and sister in the play, but Tricklock's Byron Laurie is black and Juli Ehteridge is, well, not.
The set design by Donald Fox, a split stage with three bedrooms, and lighting, also by Fox, a UNM professor, make the already polished production all the more enjoyable. The sound design was also spectacular but at times distracting. Nicky Silver, playwright, is the award-winning author of "Raised in Captivity" and "Pterodactyls."
Go see Albuquerque theater at its best at the Tricklock Theater, 118 Washington St. SE. Tickets are $10 general admission and $8 for students and seniors. Call 254-8393 for reservations.
