meg o’connor

I have just returned home from the theater.

(I’m all about class)

I saw Octopus by Steve Yockey at the Magic Theater. Octopus is about a couple who decide to invite another couple in their bed, and the consequences that come with it. There is jealously, guilt, uncovered secrets, and an HIV scare. (Oh, and full-frontal male nudity)

And as the lights came up and the last image of the play was fading from my mind, I just wasn’t sure whether I loved it, or loved it not. It was on the (long, stinky, warm) bus ride home I realized I fell more on the loved-it side of the fence.

What I Loved:

The first thing I saw was the set. This was not the first set of Erik Flatmo I had fallen in love with, but I think my crush on this set will last. On the small Sam Shepard stage, there was this perfectly contained, trendy apartment. It looked comfortable and real. When the lights in the apartment were out, this faint blue light surrounded the black square, and it made it feel like an apartment at the bottom of the ocean.

Leading to my next love-it moment. The title, Octopus. Love it. Three of the foursome are told (via telegram) that the fourth is at the bottom of the ocean, and is eventually killed by a sea monster. This is also the character who discovers he is HIV positive. In the end, you discover that this monster isn’t the giant AIDS Octopus…it has nothing to do with the disease. It is the monster they created together. When the four men, with their eight arms, were amid the orgy, one member of the main couple allows himself to be devoured by this monster, while the other half just watches. And this monster has the power to kill their relationship…and them.

And finally, I really enjoyed the acting. Four gay men were portrayed as characters, not as stereotypes, and it was very refreshing. I was impressed by all four performers, but the one who really stayed with me was Liam Vincent, who played Max, a member of the ‘other couple.’ He had wildly manic monologues that he performed flawlessly and it was a real joy to see him grapple with so many emotions within a few seconds.

Favorite line: “Don’t say my name like it tastes bad.”

What I Loved-Not:

It happens in most plays, but it always bugs me- forced humor. I think playwrights feel they first have to lull an audience in with a few jokes before hitting them with the real story. An example from this show: the sassier member of the couple tells his partner to stop stomping around in his judgement boots. I giggled. But then ‘judgement boots’ was pressed. What are judgement boots? Etc. To me, I think a playwright has to trust that the audience is already there, ready to watch a story. They are not there to see stand-up. Don’t force laughs.

And what really bugged me…was the little write-up in the back of the program. I wish I hadn’t read it before the show, so I could have had an un-biased eye. The writer claims that the ‘remarkable’ thing in the show is what is ‘unremarked upon in the play.’ She claims the fact that these four men aren’t struggling to be accepted, or that they don’t even mention that they’re gay, is what makes this show unique. I found that to be untrue. If the fact that they were gay was never discussed OUTSIDE of the play, and the story was described as four lovers fighting against a symbolic sea monster, then it could truly be considered a victory for the gay community. This writer also compared Steven Yockey to Tony Kushner- and that did me in. I kept on comparing this script to Angels in America. HIV running rampant, lovers considering leaving because it would be too hard, true love finding a way, crazy-Harper-esque monologues- there were too many similarities. Maybe there wouldn’t have been as many had I not read the back of the program. The world may never know.

But I would suggest to friends to go see it (though it c loses in two days) and see for themselves what the octopus meant to them.

And now for the best part of going to a play- the inspiration that follows. Farewell, I am off to experiment with the experimental.