By which I mean the Christian Heppinstall agenda.
Heppinstall—the writer, producer and also one of the actors (he plays Madame Svetlana; more on her in a minute)—turns his beef with hypocrisy into a satiric theatrical rant, one that finishes with a Big Fat Gay Wedding at Out North on July 18.
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“Soapscum” got its start last year as campy late-night theater with a saucy edge. Narrator Mama Rose Mary always brings newcomers up to date, however, by recounting past dramas while tossing off catty asides and setting the scene.
Figuring out the plot never takes long; this month’s series, “Soapscum Goes to Hell,” takes a pointed turn by railing against those who oppose gay marriage while making fun of everyone’s phobias and fetishes along the way. The story takes place in various locations, but comes to a head in California during the battle for and against Proposition 8.
The show involves a few dozen actors, many with multiple parts. Characters include Father Aubrey Khepera, a Catholic priest who dedicates his life to fighting homosexual marriage while spouting off facts about old films and movie stars. John Fraser plays Khepera with over-the-top zeal, brandishing eloquence and flamboyance in equal measure.
Rehearsing new lines every week taxes even a seasoned actor like Fraser.
“It's like riding a bus without knowing where it's headed,” he says, “but you don't get off the bus because the ride is so spectacular.”
The bigger, more outlandish the scene, the more fun it gets, he added, and nothing is sacred, not religion, not the French, not the Governor of Alaska, not even the President. In one of the most hilarious scenes of the series so far, Obama (a measured Luke Bartholomew) gets caught in a catfight between Brief Savage (Lorrie Shea) and Caribou Barbie (Rebekah Franklin as a hot and bossy Palin).
When Obama ends up with both hands on Barbie’s breasts, he only regains composure by grasping his BlackBerry and texting.
Bartholomew also plays Osama bin Laden and the alien leader, Dildano of the Barbarellans, each of his characters caught between what they believe and what they must do to stay in power.
Learning pages of new dialogue every week takes its toll in a good way, says Bartholomew.
“When it's time to perform, juggling character, blocking, costumes, lights, and the words becomes not only the hardest thing, but the funniest part of this whole form,” says Bartholomew, who heads to graduate school in Florida to study acting this fall. “Working together onstage to help your fellow actors and keep the scene moving if anyone forgets a line or forgets a prop, this is the part that keeps us alive and vibrant.”
In fact, Bartholomew used his alien character Dildano to help Heppinstall get back on track by “picking up” a text message meant for Svetlana in episode two. While improvising on the fly, he commented on the “crude” communication devices used by humans.
“This may not be the most rewarding for actors who revel in nuance,” says Bartholomew, “but at the same time, it's exciting to just dive in and go for broke.”
In other words, anything can go wrong—and probably will—such as missed lines, lost props, failed PowerPoint presentations and a Janet Jackson-like costume malfunction that turned one already absurd fetish scene into a piece of hilarious theater-humor.
This production doesn’t unfold flawlessly anymore than it holds back. It just dips from poignant moments of human drama to quests for power, money, sex and bilateral support.
The show’s writer, Heppinstall, plays the droll Madame Svetlana, the Russian-born power broker who amassed her wealth as the CEO of Smirnov Studios, a heavy weight in the porn industry, struggles with what’s right for business and what’s right for her soul.
He looks glamorous in his gowns and heels, but the show gives him far more than a chance dress to the nines. “Soapscum” lets him “dramatically offer my platform of ideas on stage, which is far more fun than being a pol who must be wary of each and every syllable uttered, as Sarahcuda—our beloved beauty queen—has found out the hard way.”
Like all campy theater, “Soapscum” takes on serious and topical issues in a decidedly silly way. Expect the same in the next two episodes as every face-off comes to a head, whether between Caribou Barbie and Brie Savage, Svetlana and Obama or the actors and their lines.
Theatre Artists United’s “Midnight Soapscum Goes to Hell” continues at 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through July 18 with the fourth episode on July 10 and 11, and the final episode on July 17 and 18 at Out North (3800 DeBarr Road). Tickets cost $15 online or at the door (www.outnorth.org).
The Big Fat Gay Marriage will take place on July 18 with a reception at 7 p.m. and the ceremony at 8 p.m. The Rev. Dianne O’Connell will officiate the wedding. Those with marriage licenses can get married and she will also bless unions for those who want to renew vows or who cannot legally marry.
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