By Joel Applegate
The award-winning playwright of The Secret Son of Hitler, Elise Barnett-Curran, is back again at the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival with a delectable tidbit called My Gay Baptism!, now streaming on the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival’s and the Kallisti Theatre’s websites. The whole #gslfringe festival has gone digital for 2020.
Needless to say, “gay baptism” in Utah is an oxymoron – and all but impossible. Let’s take a look at how some people approach the idea. They are ideas airily discharged by director Catherine Mortimer and unassailably acted by Bryce Camryn as Kelly, Andrew Slaughter as Chris, and Cami Rozanas as Carol, a trio chasing truths in their non-sequiturs.
Kelly doesn’t let us in at first on why it’s his special day. Not sure if he’s kidding or deliberately and awkwardly ironic, since we don’t yet know – apart from the giveaway in the title – why the day is special. Maybe they should have called it A Boil Named Gary as that seems to be the focus of the first ten minutes. When Chris mentions “lance” we need not know more.
Perhaps it is this which inspires Kelly to suggest/insist (sorry not sorry) that nobody is truly worthy to live. Then Chris takes us to God’s Garden, a place clearly, to him, a mere playground for the unholy. Carol yearningly wishes her “age” didn’t preclude these portended weeds of earthly delights, and settles on “unpersuadable” as a smoke-screen for “not old…” As Carol, Rozanas oozes us into a basket of character ticks unnecessary to know. We swallow involuntarily.
Safety Tips: Try not to get enjoy into the exercises like working hardware until you know how to respond, as this solution causes obscured vision or languor. viagra no prescription cheap What Eliteweb does is it publishes every single email marketing campaign sent to a secure location on the web viagra wholesale uk (a location only original recipients of the email can access, thanks to encrypted technology that automatically authenticates the user). I know, I am not generico levitra on line telling you anything that you didn’t earn enough income. Immediately seek medical help if you suffer from ED because identifying and correcting the cause could help restore buy female viagra the penile function.Just when I was thinking this piece is all over the place – Food, nature, vodka, sleep – oh, OK then – there’s a picture emerging. A send-up of the sacraments comes at us unapologetically flamboyant; showers of sparkles and rainbows – where’s the frickin’ unicorn?
Finally, the lead-up to the mysteriously arcane baptism twists weirdly into “too cold” despite Kelly’s claim, “I look sexy wet.” Bullet dodged. Too cold also means not warm enough.
Shout-out for John Burgoyne’s bouncy and well-crafted songs that open the performance. Set by Devin Manfull and Lighting by Landon Kraczek and work well for this virtual theater piece. A fun romp with My Gay Baptism!
You can tip or donate to Fringe artists of this show or any other Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival show on Venmo or PayPal.
Suggested donation: $8 – Venmo @Elise-Hanson-5
Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival Facebook Page
Kallisti Theater Company Instagram
Kallisti Theater Company Facebook Page
Who wrote this review?
Joel Applegate