New play by Colorado playwright Paul Wells a bit frenetic but overall delivers the scares
Attention all herpetologists! A new play has arrived at Theater Company of Lafayette, calling for your immediate attention. SNAKE! is billed as a “Hiss-terical horror in the swamps of South Florida” and promises to take you on a two-hour journey through the Florida Everglades, satisfying your thirst for knowledge about pythons and other scary things.
Written and directed by Paul Wells, the new play is crafted with informative and exciting content about pythons. Although the production may experience a few bumps along the way, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll learn about these frightening creatures.
Descending upon the Florida Everglades is a group of inexperienced filmmakers led by the respected scientist Cal (Rav’n Moon) and Nikki (Cristina Twigg), who is there to capture the action on her cellphone. Along for the ride are Carly (Rachel Ricca), a flight attendant, and her boyfriend Jay (Wes Kreitz). They are all on a mission to expose the dire circumstances surrounding the python inhabiting the Everglades.
Suffering a severe case of hubris, our group of hopeful documentarians proceeds to get lost. Fortunately, they are found by Ranger (Michael Gurshtein), who has taken up residence in the overgrown brush and is also a self-proclaimed lover of the mighty snake.
As the sun sets and while waiting for the day to break, the group is introduced for dinner “Swamp Stew,” lovingly prepared by Ranger, with a secret ingredient enough to turn anyone into a vegetarian. As the evening wears on, the lost travelers begin to get on each other’s nerves, so much so that they start to tear into each other while pointing fingers at how and why they got into this mess.
Rav’n Moon in ‘SNAKE!’
Daybreak does not bring any relief for the stranded group. One of the explorers comes up missing in the morning and is feared dead. Act Two has several violent snake attacks, leaving Ranger incapacitated and unable to assist in returning the explorers to civilization. Although everyone is covered in blood by the end of the play, we believe they will return to the real world, filled with stories to last a lifetime.
Solid cast and a wordy script
The entire cast gives solid performances, with Gurshtein as Ranger having developed a three-dimensional character that anchors the play nicely. The rest of the cast is comprised of TCL favorites who command the play with well-thought-out characterizations and contribute to a strong ensemble performance.
As directed by Wells, SNAKE! moves quickly and to the point. However, the pacing is without any deviation, preventing nuances from shining through. Everything is played with the same intensity, and there needs to be more “moments” highlighted over the two hours.
Although promising, the play can be overly wordy and filled with too much information to digest. At times, the dialogue is stilted and does not sound like what might be considered natural conversation. Filled with humor, many laughs are overlooked by the rapid-fire delivery that could easily be trimmed and allowed to breathe. Wells has provided the essential elements for something special, but there is too much going on most of the time for the audience to sit back and simply enjoy the play.
The physical and technical aspects of the production are first-rate. Scenic designer Chris Pash has transformed the acting space into a credible spot in the Everglades, and the sound effects by Tom Priestley heighten the action on stage.
Kudos to Theater Company of Lafayette for bringing SNAKE! to the stage. New plays from Colorado playwrights are always welcome, and this is no exception.
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