Artifice
Rover Dramawerks, Plano
Reviewed by Natalie Shaw, Dallas Theatre Journal
A death in the family often brings the family closer together, creating a united circle of siblings, cousins and extended members. Many times, this banded family collectively work to keep the legacy of their deceased family member alive. Should the deceased person be an artist, we just might find that his/her creative work suddenly, or eventually becomes more valuable. Supposedly, artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Emily Dickinson and Johann Sebastian Bach were narrowly discovered for their work before death, or unknown until their death. Often, the artist doesn't become a household name until friends, family members and colleagues advocate to have their masterpieces known to the public and continue their legacy.
In Anne Flanagan's Aritfice, Payne Showers (played by Christian Black) has struggled his entire life to become a famous, well-to-do artist. The financial burden has fallen upon his wife Maggie La Rue (played by Heather Walker Shin,) who is now at risk of losing everything after Payne's death, due to his reckless spending habits. Maggie and her assistant Richard, (played by Jordon Pokladnik) opt to sell what is left of his collection of paintings. Rich and well-unknown property developer, Mick Fitzgerald (played by Kenneth Fulenwider) may be interested in purchasing a few pieces, so Maggie and Richard invite Mick over for a personal gallery walk, with the famous journalist, Judith Fontaine (played by Sue Goodner) to document and write an article highlighting the beauty of the work in hopes to encourage any future buyers. Mick brings along an Art expert, Emma (played by Laura Jennings) to appraise the work of the the dead artist. Everything seems to be going well, until Payne comes home, revealing that he is, indeed, alive! Maggie and Richard are not amused, and quite frankly, are very disappointed. The three of them must keep his immortality a secret until it's safe to unveil him--but if Mick, who's supposedly a mobster, finds out, they're all dead meat!
This situational comedy is potent with playful one-liners, pokes fun at the sensitive egos of artists, and brings back the banter that we all know and love from 90's television shows like, Friends and Seinfeld. The cast of this Rover Dramawerks production leaves so much room for laughter and a great time! Director Penny Elaine has done a sensational job directing this small cast of 8 actors and cultivating a strong group connection among her cast and production team. This being the first time I was able to see Heather Walker Shin perform, I was very impressed with her candid humor and how she interpreted her character, Maggie, who is a woman scorned and made to be a fool, or so she feels. Prior to learning of Payne's alleged death, Maggie separated from her husband and was determined to find what was left of herself and her youth. Later, we witness a transition in her character that reveals her ability to forgive, shifting Ms. Walker Shin's motivation from self-preservation with guarded behavior, to desperation to protect what really matters to Maggie. Similar to Ms. Walker Shin, I have only witnessed Christian Black's acting talents in a short rehearsal for a previous production. (Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the production, so a short rehearsal was all I was able to see.) What I've known of Mr. Black is that he has a beautiful singing voice, so watching him perform in a straight play, especially a comedy such as this one was fascinating! Mr. Black initially portrays Payne as one who is completely self-absorbed; one who only looks out for his best interests. Payne believes that forgiveness will always be available, no matter what, until he learns that his wife is not very happy to see that he's alive after he survived a terrible disaster. In this situation, Payne makes the very admirable decision to do better and be better; less self-involved and more attentive to his wife's needs. Mr. Black's focus shifts from an immature desire to play and be praised to a position of responsibility in efforts to have a more successful marriage.
In Artifice, things are not always what they seem to be or how others perceive them to be. But, learning the truth can be a hard lesson and risky one at that. Artifice uses comedy to display issues such as deceit, betrayal, and truth through the lens of the ridiculous and the absurd. You don't want to miss this incredible, fun-filled show! Appropriate for ages 14 and up. Note that this play contains gunshot noises. Accessibility available via elevator and seating in the theater space.
Y'all enjoy!
Natalie Shaw
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