Before seeing the Vortex's production of Tracy Letts' "Killer Joe," I associated the words Killer Joe with the jazz standard made famous by the Jazztet and Quincy Jones. Now "Killer Joe" brings to mind chicken bones and insurance policies, among other things.
The setting for the play, which runs through May 5, is a trailer outside of Dallas, and down to the last detail, Miguel Martinez's design is convincing. Blacklight posters, a cheap refrigerator stocked with beer, the glow of the television with its makeshift antenna and a barking dog announcing each character's entrance and exit all indicate that the Vortex got it right.
Attribute this to director Steve Anderson's background in film. "Killer Joe" is his first venture into directing for the stage, and is thus quite cinematic. It opens with lights indicating a thunderstorm and something also common in many feature films: full frontal nudity.
That's right, our first scene finds Chris, played by Aaron Worley, greeted by his bottomless stepmother, the sleazy yet attractive Sharla, played by Tifanie McQueen.
After a good old-fashioned stepparent-child argument, we meet Chris's father and customer and Sharla's unfulfilling husband, Ansel, played by the great comic John Hardman.
After a short venture in the rabbit farming business, Chris now sells drugs and needs $6,000 to pay off his debt since his mother stole his coke and he now owes his suppliers. After asking his father for the money and being rejected - Ansel is in no position to lend out that kind of money - only one solution remains. They must off Chris's mother so Chris' sister Dottie, played by Katy Houska, will inherit her life insurance. Of course with a plan such as this there are bound to be some problems.
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To do the deed, the trailer-trash crew enlists "Killer" Joe Cooper, played by William Sterchi, a detective and misogynist who wants his pay in advance. Unable to meet his needs, the family gives him his second choice: Dottie and her sexual favors as a retainer.
With a plot as twisted as this and characters as absurd, it would be easy to slip into a sort of white-trash parody. Thankfully, the cast and director steer clear, for the most part, of making the play a cartoon.
Aaron Worley and Katy Houska, in particular, breathe life and honesty into their amped-up characters. The youngest members of the cast, Worley and Houska, are comfortable in their roles and are the glue that holds the show together.
Worley plays his character's struggle convincingly, and Houska's Dottie is very likable in her vulnerability. William Sterchi is also good as the title character but has done better work in the past. Anderson's staging seems well thought out, but some movements looked telegraphed and much of the action was played in only two parts of the set: the couch and the kitchen table. I don't think Martinez's set was fully used, but Anderson's direction was never dull.
In fact, I described "Killer Joe" to a friend as a roller coaster of action. Some blackouts were awkward, but the fact is if you go see The Vortex's "Killer Joe," you will not forget it.
The Vortex does not disappoint and is always producing cutting-edge theater.
As the program notes indicate, the theater had the chance to premiere the play but voted it down. After widespread media praise, "Killer Joe" - written by Tracy Letts, a former Steppenwolf Theatre actor - is here, and Steve Anderson, along with a talented cast, brings us something truly memorable.
"Killer Joe" runs Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., through May 5. Tickets are $10 and $8 for students and all seats on Sundays are $7. Call 247-8600 for reservations.
