Before I talk about Fat Men in Skirts we need to talk about the company that is putting it on, Molotov Theatre Group, because more than anything else, this is just Molotov being Molotov. One of the main reasons MTG exists is to put on plays that nobody else would even think about doing. Their commitment to preserving the tradition of the Grand Guignol (French horror theater) is their defining characteristic. And this is what I love about them. I don’t have to adore every play they do because I appreciate the strong commitment they have to the process of doing them.
Molotov Theatre is to the DC theater community what Björk is to the music world. I don’t have to love every song she makes to be really happy about the fact that she is out there making them.
Now about the play.
I enjoyed Fat Men in Skirts as much as one can enjoy a play that involves mental illness, rape, murder, and incest. I thought it was well performed by all four actors, Katie Culligan, Dave Gamble, K. Clare Johnson, and Matthew Marcus. Each gives performances that are nuanced and convincing (again, as nuanced and convincing as they can be when considering the aforementioned content).
The best part of the show is the writing. Nicky Silver’s script has some uniquely funny moments, mixed in seamlessly with the dark and the demented. The cast commits to the dialogue well, and everyone seems very earnest in their portrayal. I was not convinced at every moment, but I sensed a strong passion for the material all the way through.
In the show, a mother and son are marooned on a desert island for five years while the husband/father is off mourning and simultaneously gallivanting in their absence. Clearly, the experience is rough on everyone, and we see them all lose their grip on sanity.
The play poses some interesting “what would you do” questions and challenges the audience to play along by continually breaking down the fourth wall. It’s a fascinating premise and it makes for an engaging show.
If anything, the show seems a little reserved for Molotov. The last time I saw a show they did, I was handed a poncho as I came in to protect my clothes from the copious blood splatter. It was like a cross between a play, a slasher flick, and a Gallagher show.
By comparison, this play was mild. Sure, it had a little bit of blood, but I wasn’t worried about getting any of it on me. It was certainly more cerebral than the last show I saw, but this was in no way a bad thing. In fact, I enjoyed this more refined, psychological approach to their usual goal of probing the dark and murky caverns of our collective subconscious.
While the play did inspire some interesting questions about how I might behave in a similar situation (I hope differently than they did!) the most important question I was left with was this: “would anybody else in DC even try to do a play like this?” The answer is an unequivocal “no”. It may not have been the best play I’ve ever seen, or even the best Fringe show I’ve been to, but I was glad to get to see it. I’m happy to know that someone is out there, trying new things and preserving old traditions, like Molotov Theatre group is. Well, as happy as I can be when the things they are preserving come with a risk of blood splatter.
Note: this performance is listed as being 90 min, but the showing I saw was closer to 105 min. It was not too long (well, maybe a little) but plan accordingly if you’re rushing to see another show after this one.
Fat Men in Skirts has 21 more performances (it stays where it is at 1409 Playbill Cafe, 1409 14th St NW, Washington, DC after Fringe, closing Aug 6, 2011.)
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Josh rates this a 4, out of a possible top rating of 5.
See more Fringe reviews here.
well my friends and I performed an act from FMIS about seven years ago for our High School thespian ensemble acting piece… needless to say we were disqualified based on the content but i still maintain that some of the judges could appreciate the tenacity of my group! I am trying to find a performance of FMIS somwhere. I am currently in the Army so I move a lot. Does anyone know of any other groups performing FMIS?
Chrissy,
I had no idea that Woolly had done this play in 91. That was well before my time as a DC theater goer, partially because I was living in Denver at the time and partially because I was 7. That’s fascinating and great to know. I didn’t mean to imply that Molotov was the only company that could ever do something like this. Clearly they are not. I’m just happy to have companies in town (and Woolly is another great example of this) who has such a strong sense of identity, mission, and purpose. I wish I could have seen the other production so I’d be able to compare them (but it’s not really the kind of show you should take a 7 year old to). I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. What a fun little circle! Thanks for the tip.
I very much hope to see and look forward to seeing Molotov’s production, and I agree that theaters should be commended for presenting material that distinguishes one company from the many other companies working in town. However, it should be pointed out that an “unequivocal ‘no'” as a response to the question “would anybody else in DC even try to do a play like this” feels inapt when considering a play that I and many others will remember vividly from Woolly Mammoth’s production, which I think many would list as among the half dozen or so most iconic Woolly productions from the years at the Church Street space. Jes’ saying’. (Howard Shalwitz and Lee Mikeska directing Nancy Robinette, Rob Roy, Grover Gardner, and Desire Marie, it was.)
This may be the best review of a theatre company in the history of theatre company reviews, ever. Thank God somebody in DC gets Molotov. It takes a lot of work to look this cheap!