He Asked For It
The MACHA Theatre in West Hollywood has brought back Erik Patterson’s He Asked For It previously mounted by NOTE and nominated for GLAAD and Ovation Awards.
It also marks the return of four of the original players: director Neil H. Weiss, producer Lisa Kenner, playwright Eric Patterson, and lead actor Joe Egender.
"He Asked For It" is about mid-western twenty-something Ted (Joe Egender) who moves to LA in the hopes of becoming a movie star. He is sorely naïve and is fascinated by the newness of being in such a gay-friendly town. He is all smiles and dreams and ready to begin an amazing life he’s sure is just around the corner.
On a date with Rigby (Andrew Keegan) who he met on the internet, he has his usual charming verbal diarrhea and thinks the date is going well until Rigby reveals his HIV status. He’s positive and doesn’t use condoms. It’s up to Ted to decide what he wants to do with that information. Smartly, he ditches the guy and continues his search for "the one."
Meanwhile, he talks to his younger sister via phone, checking in on the parents that have practically disowned him. He gets a theatrical agent but is forced to stay in the closet.
Things aren’t going the greatest until he finally meets the perfect guy, Henry (Jeremy Glazer), online.
After a 5 and a half week romance, the two still haven’t had sex, much to Ted’s dismay. When Ted is down about a tragedy that strikes his family, he asks Henry to spend the night with him which makes Henry reveal a truth he is wracked with guilt for not having admitted: He is HIV positive, too. And not wanting to "hurt" Ted, he breaks up with him.
Ted spirals downward until he finally figures the only way to have Henry is to become positive himself. So he contacts Rigby and asks him to "hurt him."
Bug Chasing is a topic ripe with issues and can make a compelling theatre topic. "He Asked For It" delves into these issues, but as a whole, it seems as confused as Ted. The biggest problem is that the second act focuses more on Rigby and the fact that he has infected a number of men. B
But for the last hour and a half, we’ve followed Ted.
He’s our lead. The audience surrogate. And suddenly we are asked to care about someone we barely know. It’s an odd choice and one that doesn’t really work.
In addition, most scenes go on far too long. It’s bad enough that there are unnecessary costume changes that slow down the action.
Director Weiss needs to trust his audience to understand shifts in time and place without having to change a shirt. But when a 10 minute monologue includes 5 minutes that aren’t necessary, and when scenes keep repeating the same point over and over, there comes a time when the audience is going to tune out.
And at two and a half hours long, the play is about an hour too long. By trimming the extra fat and by keeping the focus on Ted, the play would be more effective and emotionally satisfying.
That said, the acting is generally good. A few over the top actors make the tone wobbly, but the main characters are stellar, especially Joe Egender.
Previously nominated for a number of acting awards for this same role, there is no question why. His performance is real and natural, and he can take the more trite and precious scenes and make them emotionally effective.
Sarah Foret, who plays his sister Sophie is a bit off-putting at first, but she does amazing work in her final scene. Keegan, best known for a number of teen roles in film and television, starts out a bit stiff, but by the end there is realness in his performance that is ultimately captivating.
While it’s getting a little old to see stories of how "depressing" gay life can be, there is an interesting twist to this story.
With some nips and tucks and a streamlined focus, this could be something to be remembered. As it stands, the acting is what stands out more than the writing itself.
Playing at the MACHA Theatre, 1107 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood, CA 90069. The play runs from June 12th through July 19th, Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm. For more information call: 323-375-2400
