Strangedog Theatre’s Basic Help begins with a situation that is all too familiar to anyone who has ever spent endless minutes weaving through the labyrinth of telephone prompts in the hopes of eventually getting to speak with a live person who can actually help you.

We first come upon Cynthia (Megan Greener) at this exact moment of human contact.  Cynthia is so startled and relieved to talk to a human being that the first thing she does is relate her frustration at being navigated through an endless maze to finally get to an actual rep. The phone-chain hierarchy is described perfectly – beginning with the the remote, robotic push 1 for this, 2 for that menu options which lead to the more interactive but no less animatronic“Okay.  I heard you say such-and-such.  Is that correct?  Okay.  One moment while I check that …” 

So of course when Cynthia is finally connected with Simon (Gavin Earl Johnson) who answers the line with a scripted version of Thank you for calling Magicprep Kitchenware where all you kitchen prep is magic.  What is the name of the Magicprep Kitchenware customer I have the pleasure of speaking with?  is it any wonder that she demands verification that he is, in fact, human – and not just an even more clever version of robotic technology who will be of no more help to her than all the others?

On the surface, Cynthia seems a bit high strung.  I mean, really – it’s just kitchenware.  Does having a blender which makes an unexpected noise warrant a flood of crazy-lady rantings and accusations?  Whether it does or doesn’t, Simon isn’t paid to really respond thoughtfully or give actual conversation anyway.  He’s just meant to help the customer on the other end of the line, ask them if there’s any thing else he can help them with today, wish them a nice day, and sign off so that he can answer the next call.  Simple.

Only it’s not that simple.  Yes, Cynthia is high strung – but there’s a reason.  And Simon does have more thoughtful, more conversational responses – he’s just not expected to voice them.  So when Cynthia calls back the next day on some other pretext about her blender (“I lied to you when you asked if it was a gift …”) it gives the two a chance to connect a bit deeper – but only just. It’s enough of a connection, however, for Simon to give Cynthia his direct extension so that she can bypass the maze and get him directly.  On the one hand, this is crazy.   She’s obviously got a lot of time on her hands – she will obviously call again.  On the other hand … not so crazy.  Because she will obviously call again.

And so begins a strange friendship.  And it is a friendship.  The wonderful thing that playwright Ben Clawson has a gift for understanding is that the human mind is a complex thing and not all connections need to be romantic in order for them to be deeply moving and affecting.  Director Artem Yatsunov interprets this beautifully.  While there is most definitely a type of playfulness which grows between Cynthia and Simon as the phone calls become a daily ritual, the intimacy – and there is definitely intimacy – never crosses into coy flirtation.  Nevertheless Yatsunov makes it obvious that these two human beings – without seeing each other, without REALLY knowing each other beyond the scope of these brief daily interactions, have created a bond which both rely on.  Sometimes emotional intimacy is more of a life preserver than any other kind of intimacy.  But, like a life-preserver, some intimacies are self contained and serve only one purpose – and aren’t useful unless you’re lost at sea.

The feasibility of BASIC HELP sits squarely on the shoulders of Greener and Johnson and both do a wonderful job of breathing life into their characters.  Even more-so, their nuanced performance allows you to watch as they grow closer, even as the two actors never lock eyes or even face each other.  No small feat.  In just the act of simple phone calls they call forth humor, poignancy and even emptiness.  They succeed in finding things that not only connect them to each other, but to the audience as well.

Musician David Byrne said “Sometimes it’s a form of love just to talk to somebody that you have nothing in common with and still be fascinated by their presence.” Do Cynthia and Simon fascinate one another? To an extent. They certainly intrigue one another. And at the time their phone calls happen they wake each other up a bit.

BASIC HELP does a beautiful job of exploring unexpected connections found in strange places which can lead us to decisions we wouldn’t have been brave enough to make otherwise. We live in a society where we can disclose our innermost thoughts on Tumblr anonymously via a screen name such as starburstfireflygrrrrl and get more support from Gothgrrrl92 than we do our own friends IRL. This simply underscores how the scenario of BASIC HELP is more accessible and commonplace than we think. Making friends with a stranger who we will never meet or talk to again?  It happens every day.  And if you think it doesn’t – remember this review the next time you’re pouring your heart out to the faceless masses on line. Think of BASIC HELP.  And know: someone’s listening. And someone’s always there to give help – basic or otherwise.

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Basic Help
Company: StrangeDog. Theatre
Written by: Ben Clawson
Directed by: Artem Yatsunov

Remaining Performance:
Mar 09, 12:30PM

Click HERE for tickets

Running time: 0 h 50 min
Price: $16.00
Seating: General Admission

UNDER St Marks
94 St Marks Place
New York , New York 10009
1st Ave and Ave A

Horse Trade Theater Group will present the 8th Annual FRIGID New York Festival at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4^th Street between 2^nd Avenue and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1^st Avenue and Avenue A) February 19-March 9. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling 212-868-4444. 

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• Basic Help: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
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I was in my early 20s, NYPD Blue was breaking all sorts of rules and watching it was absolutely necessary, especially if you lived in New York.  Making fun of it was necessary too – and we did.  ”Drink every time David Caruso says ‘come here’ and hugs someone” was the first drinking game I remember hearing that mixed liquor and entertainment.  I played the game.  I got drunk as David Caruso hugged people.

So, when I heard that StrangeDog Theatre was doing a show where you “Step one: Come See The Show.  Step two: Choose a Character. Step three: When the Character Drinks, So Do You.” I was in.

Here’s what I expected: a lot of drinking. A lot of random chit-chat on stage peppered with a lot of drinking, encouraging the audience to drink along in an effort to make their show experience seem better than it really was.  Here’s what I got:  an enormously well-written well acted, well directed play so full of laughs, heart, and surprises that the drinking-game part became secondary.  Yes, you heard me right.  The thing that had me most excited was actually overshadowed by a terrific night of theatre.

Initially the fun of The Virilogy is three fold:  first, there’s the simple Simon-says aspect.  You’ve picked your character and for the first scene you’re glued to him.  Will he drink?  Wait … did that count?  Oh, damn … I got wrapped up in the story and forgot to drink! Is this like Mother May I? Is there a penalty here?  Nah, don’t sweat it.  No one’s watching.  Oh, wait … that’s the second fun aspect of the show … Under St. Marks Theatre is just small enough that, positioned correctly, you are keenly aware of whom your fellow audience members are choosing to follow.  Suddenly you’re watch to make sure so-and-so drinks when their character does.    But then there’s the third aspect, and by the final act it’s the aspect which has pretty much paced the drinking game: the pure fun of this amazing show.  By the time the third act rolls around I’ll venture to say some people weren’t even drinking anymore and were just enjoying this unfolding friendship.  Remarkable.

The Virilogy featuring Scott Cagney, Alejandro R. Hernandez, and David Murgittroyd (Photo credit Joseph Dreschel)

Written By Ben Clawson and directed by Artem Yatsunov The Virilogy follows three friends through three stages of their lives – each stage putting one of them front and center as they deal with a love interest.

The first act entitled Virilia stars Alejandro Hernandez as Quinn who shows up to Stu’s home (David Murgittroyd) in complete devastation over the breakup with his girlfriend.  In this simple but brilliant beginning Clawson and Yatsunov reveal that -done right- nothing is funnier than mining a heartbroken man for comedy.  While Quinn falls apart Stu and Brian (Scott Cagney) decide to ignore it (“Was he crying?” “His face was wet.  I chose not to investigate why”) and “do what men do” (“I bought you this beer.  I want you to drink it. It’s how we help”).  However, they can only ignore so much as they begin to notice Quinn is wearing Michelle’s sweatshirt and even worse … her perfume (“It’s like a nicotine patch for my nose …”).  Stu and Brian’s reaction to Quinn’s depression is brutal, but his reaction to now being just one of them again winds up being the most crushing blow of all.

Intermission.  Buy more drinks.  The game’s not over!

When we next catch up with the guys it’s obvious some years have passed – though not many.  They’re just grown up enough now to wear ties to work and cook for their girlfriends, but they’re still up to the same shenanigans.  Virility centers on Brian’s breakup this time, only this one is a whole different animal.  Stu and Quinn have hated Brian’s girlfriend Lindsay with such a vengeance that they have made up songs about her  which they sing every time she leaves the room.  They’ve invested exorbitant time and money creating a huge chart they can use as a presentation as to why she is bad – not only for Brian … but bad in general.  The screwball reasons coupled with the pair’s antics (including stabbing a cantaloupe head in effigy) were  so deeply disturbing yet hilarious that I’m not sure anything could have made it funnier.  And while it seemed outlandish there was a foundation of truth that I think everyone in the audience could respond to – who HASN’T had a dear friendship threatened by a significant other who was simply intolerable?  Stu and Quinn’s roadshow is something we’d all do if we had a great piece of poster board to build on.

Second intermission.  Last chance to get your drinks!

The final act – Visectomy - is a perfect nightcap to this show.  After the hilarity of the first two acts this is where everyone drives it home.  Clawson flips the script and shows his ability to delve into the more serious side of male bonding writing a scene that is as real, visceral and raw as the other two were side-splitting and hilarious.  The three men now show their adult sides … again, while it’s impossible to gauge how much time has passed there’s talk of wives, children, actual jobs.  Murgittroyd, Cagney and Hernandez all now have the body language of older men, they have adult swagger, they have a world-weary bent in their posture.  As these three friends come together on what would have been Stu’s wedding day, the drink of choice is no longer beer but something stronger.  They do what they’ve done for their entire friendship – they stand together and support each other, only this time despite the jokes, there’s an undertone of seriousness, sometimes of regret, sometimes of thankfulness.  More is at stake, and as they reflect on what has been they see their mistakes, their moments of regret, but also their strong friendship which has gotten them through. By the end of this show all three men have grown up and the drinking game has become a toast, not only to the characters, but to the incredible team that brought this show to life.

I’m not sure if The Virology started out as a drinking game.  It sure works as one – there’s a lot of drinking going on, and it’s nice to sit in an audience and bond with your guy, drink when he drinks, and feel yourself getting a little tipsy in an “I love you guys” way by the end.  But does this show work without the drinking?  Absolutely.  It works on every level.  I left feeling as if I’d watched a real friendship unfold.

Though StrangeDog Theatre Company are based in New Jersey I want them to come back to Horse Trade as often as possible.  I can’t wait to see more of what they have on tap.

~~~

Related Posts:

• Basic Help (2014 Frigid New York Festival)
• Basic Help: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Grab A Snack From The Mini-Fridge
• LIARS – Don’t Believe A Word Of It
• A Play Takes Flight – The Making Of “Caitlin And The Swan”