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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>‘Say You Love Satan’
finds the good in what’s evil<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Times </I>papers
9/9/10</SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>It’s your
typical love story: Boy meets son of the antichrist, boy falls in love with son
of the antichrist, boy draws the wrath of son of the
antichrist.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>OK. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Perhaps playwright Roberto
Aguirre-Sacasa’s <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Say You Love Satan,</I>
currently in production by Convergence-Continuum, is your typical love story
only if you exist within a gay cult thriller.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>However, as the
play’s protagonist—a mild mannered graduate student studying the collective
works of author Fyodor Dostoevsky—suggests, those who have ever looked for love
in all the wrong places and found it certainly feel as if they are in a gay cult
thriller.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>In <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Say You Love Satan</I>, Andrew chronicles
his chance meeting and turbulent affair with a man too good to be true—the
handsome, athletically-built and seductive offspring of the Prince of
Darkness.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This off-beat and
hilarious tale about the relationship from hell is told through a clever mixture
of direct address to the audience, the employment of Dostoevsky’s own words
about good and evil, and gay inner-circle banter.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>The storytelling
is also influenced by Aguirre-Sacasa’s experience as a writer for Marvel
Comics.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The plot is paper thin and wonderfully
fantastic.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There’s a moral, of
sorts, but nothing weighty or significant, despite the dose of Dostoevsky.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The numerous, short scenes are like
segmented panels of smart dialogue and visually stylized action, connected by a
narrative voice the equivalent of a thought balloon. Even the characters are
colorful, broadly drawn and fairly one-dimensional
creations.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Although comic
qualities rarely translate to the stage unless accompanied by equally cartoonish
music the likes of <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">You’re a Good Man
Charlie Brown</I>, they do in this romantic comedy due to the play’s witty
writing, outrageous storyline, and the concerted efforts of director Clyde Simon
and his talented cast and crew.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In
fact, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Say You Love Satan</I> is a
delightful and thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Andrew, our
fallen hero, is an endearing gay everyman.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The talented Scott Gobrach makes him a particularly charming and
vulnerable fellow, which gives the audience reason to care about his wellbeing
and his love life. This, in turn, allows the absurdity of Andrew’s attraction to
the bud of Beelzbub to seem not only feasible but reasonable given his penchant
for the wrong men.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Chief among them
is Jerrod, a medical student seeking to cure the world one good deed at a
time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His hobbies include cuddling
crack-babies to make them whole and providing Andrew with unlimited,
unconditional and suffocating nurturance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Actor Stuart Hoffman makes Jerrod so practically perfect in every way
that it sends Andrew running for cover. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Andrew is
already running from his bad boy ex, Chad, played with just the right
over-the-top flair by Zac Hudak to make him sufficiently despicable.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hudak also does a great turn as the
Voice of God during the play’s one stumble—it’s abrupt and contrived
ending.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>By comparison to
Chad and Jerrod, the prodigy of the Prince of Lies is a keeper.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Luke Roberts delivers a very attractive
and amiable Abaddon, who goes by the name of Jack.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He is a devil-may-care character
comfortable with his parentage but seemingly disinterested in the family
business.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Roberts raises the
temperature in the theater a few notches during each shirtless lip-lock with
Andrew and when his true colors seep through the
façade.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Only Andrew’s
gal pal, Bernadette, sees Jack for what he really is and is brazen enough to
call him on it. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Lauren Smith is
wonderful as Andrew’s highly strung high maintenance guardian angel and voice of
reason. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Director Clyde
Simon gives this production the light tone, fast pace and high energy it
requires.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He also localizes the
playwright’s numerous points of reference and employs actors as prop holders,
which is a nice touch.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Simon
strategically employs every corner of the small, intimate space in the Liminis
Theater.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Only the screens
projecting images intended to complement the action on stage manage to distract
from it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Seeing footage of a washer
and dryer in action is an interesting way to help establish the pretense of
being in a laundry room, but it is hardly worth taking your eyes off the lead
actors and the always-interesting Tyson Rand and Tony Thai in supporting roles
to do so.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>For those who
like a good story about love gone bad set within a funny gay cult thriller, and
who doesn’t, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Say You Love Satan</I> is
playing through September 25 in nearby Tremont.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>