June 2010 Theatre Review by Chris Arnold
Sex Marks the Spot
It is easy to write off a play titled "Sex Marks The Spot". I went into it thinking it would either be a mindless raunchy comedy, or of a pornographic nature. Luckily, I was wrong on both fronts. I am happy to report, while far from perfect, Charles Grippo's comedy is not one to disregard.
New Lincoln Theatre is remounting "Sex Marks The Spot" after a successful engagement (also at Theatre Building Chicago) earlier this year. A few weeks before the election, Senator Clooney's mistress-porn star Le Bonque-threatens to reveal their affair on national television. Like any good politician worth his weight in cover-ups, the Senator drugs her and forces his campaign manager and his press secretary to help him hide the burgeoning scandal from his suspicious wife, the press, and a dimwitted detective with ambitions to make movies.
"Sex Marks The Spot" is a modern day farce (a la "Lend Me A Tenor") where the humor relies on mistaken identities, slamming doors, and racing the clock to get all ducks into place. Charles Grippo has a clever premise; a conservative senator caught up a sex scandal is relevant and funny. I wish Grippo would have relied on intelligent wit, rather than resorting to crude cheap humor (IE; Dick Dick the hotel Dick). Luckily director Damian Arnold had a grasp on this genre, and created some fun sight gags. A transition (accompanied by music and umbrellas) alone is worth the price of admission.
The major hurdle Grippo and Arnold encounter is length. "Sex Marks The Spot" is a loose 2 hours, and would be better served as a tight 90 minutes. The first act successfully set up the conflict, but the second act did not know what to do with itself. There were two extended scenes, while somewhat moving the action, which ultimately hurt the pace. The strength of "Sex Marks The Spot" lies in the passion for the material exuded by the cast. They had so much fun doing the play that I had fun watching it. Tony Fiorentino deserves kudos for the commitment and stamina he gave Senator Clooney. Special praise must also be given to Adam Schulmerich and Kieran Welsh-Phillips for giving the "straight" characters honest characterizations that I cared about.
If you are a fan of farce, humor at the expense of conservative politician sex scandals, or just looking to be entertained: "Sex Marks The Spot" is worth a look. It has its trouble spots, but manages to shine in spite of them. "Sex Marks The Spot" will run through July 25, 2010 at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont (on the south side of the street between Lakewood and Racine). Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm. Tickets are $26 and can be purchased via the box office (773) 327-5252, or Ticketmaster.com.
About Chris Arnold
Chris
Arnold has been in Chicago for seven years where he has directed for
Act One Studios, the side project, Bailiwick, Illinois Theatre
Center, LiveWire Theater, and Diamante Productions, amongst
others. For three years he was a company member with Circle
Theatre, and directed the Jeff Recommended productions "Escanaba
in Love" and "Boy". He also directed "A
Midsummer Night's Dream" with Circle Theatre Youth
Ensemble. He is the former Associate Artistic Director for
Thunder & Lightning Ensemble where he directed "Jack Goes
Boating," "Red Light Winter" (Named one of the top
five memorable productions by a smaller troupe: New City 2008), and
"Earl the Vampire".
Chris has interned at Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatre. While at the Goodman he had the opportunity to serve as the Script Manager for the world premiere of "Blue Surge" by Rebecca Gilman. When not directing Chris teaches in the Literature & Theatre Department(s) at The Chicago Academy for the Arts, where he has directed "Doubt" and "The Pillowman". He writes for Chicagocritic.com, and is a member of the Artistic/Technical Team for the Jeff Committee. Spring 2010 Chris will be a Teaching Artists with American Theatre Company as part of their American Mosaic Program. He holds an MFA in Directing (with a focus in Critical Studies) from The University of Memphis.