Matthew Scott Montgomery, Adrián Javier and Jimin Moon (Photo by Jill Petracek)
Reviewed by Steven Vargas
Atwater Village Theatre
Through March 23
Calvin Seabrooks and Jimin Moon (Photo by Jill Petracek)
A quartet of queer friends tests the limits of their relationship by kissing one another like a game of musical chairs, hopping from one person to the next. As the sexual frenzy grows more passionate, the metaphor intensifies, and a seat from this game of musical chairs is pulled away, forcing the members of this sexual escapade to push one person out. In Foursome, when this leap of faith turns into a competition, the roots of this friend group’s problems are pulled out of them despite their best efforts to maintain the status quo. However, those problems may be more than the stage can bargain for.
Matthew Scott Montgomery’s new play, which made its world premiere with IAMA Theatre Company in association with Celebration Theatre, depicts the lengths someone will go to keep their partner happy. Noah (Montgomery), a type A neat freak, is ready to marry his partner of 10-ish months, Felix (Jimin Moon). Felix, a multifaceted social media personality and hairdresser, is still grappling with their deeply romantic feelings for Noah. Kobe (Calvin Seabrooks) and his partner Tahj (Adrián Javier), a soon-to-be TV heartthrob who returned from filming earlier than planned, join Noah and Felix for a weekend getaway at a cabin for New Year’s as part of their annual friendship tradition. When the pent-up emotions of their respective relationships reach a boiling point, they decide to unpack their collective baggage with a foursome. Strong comedic sequences and witty pacing bolster the play, but as the antics unravel, the effort to craft an ensemble falters.
Noah and Felix have a beautifully opposing dynamic. As they enter the stage, their relationship is made clear by their actions. Felix vapes. Noah organizes the shoes and bags in their assigned spots by the door. Their inside jabs at each other are easy to pick up on because they are introduced in the middle of their bickering. But while these characters get a proper introduction, Tahj and Kobe enter as enigmas. The state of their relationship is unclear. In fact, they appear more friendly than romantic from the start. Part of this underdevelopment is due to the dialogue.
The comedy writing is strong, but the humor tends to lose its hold on the characters. The play makes several cultural references common within the LGBTQ+ community, from quotes like Dakota Johnson’s “That’s not true, Ellen,” to the age-old game of assigning Sex and the City characters to your friends. (These riffs are quintessentially queer.) Foursome even includes a deeply entertaining dance break to “Cool for the Summer” by Demi Lovato, packed with unified choreography and a split jump. Such moments build rapport, but as the bits extend further than they need to, their fluffiness distracts from developing the characters and plot.
Tension truly builds once Tahj and Felix are alone. The elephant in the room, Tahj’s former relationship with Noah, layers over a nail-biting confrontation. Montgomery’s understated hints at this dynamic give their final connection a lot of weight. Director Tom DeTrinis assists in framing their interplay with spacing, constantly positioning them at odds throughout the cabin (scenic design by Nicholas Ponting).
Costume designer Danae Iris McQueen makes up for a lack of character development in the writing with intentional choices in their attire. Noah’s business casual garb stands in contrast to Felix’s baggy and trendy ones. Meanwhile, Tahj’s crop top shirt with “Choke” written in bold letters perfectly encapsulates his F-boy status.
Tahj lives up to the title a little too much. It is clear that his presence is bad news, but the writing seldom shows why the audience should feel for him. As his story unfolds, he lacks redeeming qualities that would explain why he is so drawn to Noah and why he completes this friend group. He comes on strong from the start and doesn’t let up until the very end, simmering down only a smidge. Similarly, Kobe’s character is ambiguous. In an emotional conversation with Noah, he admits that although he is the daddy of the group, he still yearns to be taken care of from time to time. Leading up to this emotional conversation, the audience doesn’t get a taste of his “daddy” status. His backstory within the friend group is unclear. He has a strong relationship with Felix, but the story rarely unveils how it came to be. Without it, the transition from friends to lovers in a foursome betrays their wholesome bond.
The overall aesthetic of the performance varies greatly. It works in its consistently comedic beginning. Montgomery’s interpretation of Noah is akin to a half-hour sitcom character, crafted with bold choices and aware of the eyes watching him. Meanwhile, the other characters are more grounded and realistic. This style of comedy, having one outlandish character juxtaposed with the others’ more normal demeanor, incites strong laughs. However, when the weight of marriage and commitment sinks in, the schtick loses its gloss.
Moon’s performance is particularly strong. Their approach to Felix is very matter-of-fact. They play into the influencer personality, but as emotions start to tug at Felix’s heart, they make specific choices that surprisingly fit their character. The dry, influencer tone feels sharper with more emotion behind each quip. The weight of the situation manifests in their body through fidgeting hands, juxtaposing their relaxed nature.
Foursome is a great on-stage romcom, but it’s missing a punctuation mark. From the start, it presents a musing on marriage and relationships. Montgomery riffs on these themes through Noah and Felix, providing them with a strong arc. But the other two characters get lost in the mix and, by play’s end, have transformed Noah and Felix’s relationship from a period into an ellipsis.
Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave, Atwater Village. Fri., Sat., & Mon. at 8 pm, Sun. at 4 pm; thru March 23. Runtime: 90 minutes, with no intermission. https://www.iamatheatre.com/foursome
