Trevor
There are no spoiler alerts here. NO SPOILER ALERTS! This is a spoiler-free zone. Which likely means this will turn out to be a partial-ish review. I’ll tell you all about how I feel about the given show… and very little about the show itself. From what I can tell, this theatre company will support me in my no-spoiler stance.
Drum roll please.
You, privileged Angelenos, have the opportunity to see the west coast premiere of Trevor on stage now at the Circle X Theatre Co. Because I’m not sure how it will go in convincing you to see the show without divulging what it’s about, it should be known that Circle X is one of my favorite theatres in Los Angeles. It’s reeeeeeeally hard to go wrong when choosing to see one of their fine endeavors. So why don’t you just go? Not convinced? Read more.
This cast is phenomenal. Laurie Metcalf (of Roseanne fame) is always brilliant on stage… and she doesn’t disappoint this time around. Yes, I meant to say ON STAGE. She’s a fantastic stage actor. How lucky are we to get to witness the brilliance time and again? I’ve seen her stage work before, and I will see her any chance I get. If you haven’t seen Laurie on stage, go see this show. Still haven’t bought your ticket? She is in good company. With the exception of one actor, who was the understudy the night I was in attendance, the cast was incredibly strong. Jimmi Simpson as Trevor is a gift. And really the entire cast is… (And I won’t pick on the understudy, who has the worst job on the planet in my opinion).
Are you a film and TV actor who doesn’t see much theatre at all? This is your show, honestly. There are major laughs to be had at the life and trials of being an actor. The first act in general is hilarious… the second half gets dark. So you’ve got it all here. Actor inside jokes (that will still be amusing to everyone) and general hilarity coupled with serious issues that leave you thinking. Come on. Go see this show.
Nick Jones (playwright) has a pretty great script. He’s one of the writers and co-producer for Orange is the New Black if you need a credential. Stella Powell-Jones wears her director hat well. The staging is great, the acting is great, and the pacing is great. What more can I say??? It’s always fun to support a female director, don’t you think? She’s done a darn fine job here. The set is white trash amazing thanks to Stephanie Kerley Schwartz. And there was some keen “violence design” by Ned Mochel. Is that what we are calling it now? And sure, I purposely dropped the fact that there is some fight choreography to boost the show power. Funny AND dark… with violence? Seriously.
I’m aware that I sound a little silly sticking to my, “I’m not going to spoil anything by telling you what this show is about” stance. Yes, it’s an odd take for a reviewer. The honest truth is it’s a really stellar show (another stellar show) from Circle X. I’d recommend it to anyone… theatre buff, non-regular theatregoer, thinkers, laughers… everyone but kids. I wouldn’t recommend this for kids. But if you aren’t a kid, you’ll kick yourself later when it get tons of buzz and wins awards, and you didn’t see it. Don’t read any other reviews, they will just tell you to go (I have no doubt, none) and spoil the plot. Just go and enjoy the not knowing experience.
Circle X Theatre Co.
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Thusday-Friday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 2:00
Through April 19
$28.00
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