Erin Schlabach (Photo by Ericka Kreutz)
Reviewed by Asa Fris
The Count’s Den
Thru April 6
FEAST. by Megan Gogerty is a sleek dinner theater experience composed of a mysterious atmosphere, a marathon solo performance, and tasty treats. This is the show’s West Coast premiere, mounted by Leonix Movement Theatre in association with Immersive Art Collective.
FEAST. retells the epic poem “Beowulf” from the perspective of Grendel’s mother (Erin Schlabach). Disguised as a mostly inconspicuous middle-aged woman, this magickal entity comes back from the ether to host a dinner party and recount to her guests what actually happened to her and her son. Her aim is to teach people that their society’s strong men are actually weak and to spur them to fight back. She also discovers her own humanity along the way.
This is a complicated concept and not always successful. Gogerty often makes assumptions about her guest’s opinions or identities to move from one line of reasoning to another. This kind of logic would be easier to buy into if the play did not directly respond to our current societal struggles. But it does, and these shortcuts make it hard to be persuaded by her rally cry for justice.
The strength of FEAST. lies in Gogerty’s imaginative poetry, in particular the close relationship she draws between humanity and consumption. Her discourses on bacteria, colonization, and food (of course), are filled with poetic text and are consistently fresh and intriguing. And you don’t need to have read “Beowulf” to understand them. When, as Grendel’s mother (GM), Sclabach deviates from the original epic, she highlights the differences, reminding her guests of the biased nature of history. These distinctions are key to understanding how director Laura Covelli interprets the play, which focuses on the unheard voices from the ‘losing’ sides of history.
To emphasize this theme, Covelli stages GM so that she re-experiences her suffering even as she retells the events of “Beowulf”. But this diminishes the overall experience of the piece by undermining the power of Gogerty’s poetry and thus her cry for justice. Because the poetry falls flat, our experience of GM’s suffering does too, and the need for her to warn us becomes unclear.
Schlabach displays notable stamina and staying power throughout this long solo performance. GM is already a vocally arduous role, and Covelli’s interpretation adds a physicality on top of this. At times it is hard to connect with this performer due to her repetitive vocal choices and because of how slowly she moves through the story, but this seemed to be a result of the interpretation, not the actor’s ability.
The design of the venue is ornate. Guests are seated at dinner tables interspersed throughout the hall, with one large desk stationed by a fireplace that serves as the main playing area. Vines, paintings, and empty frames deck the walls, and metal chandeliers and table candles light the sleek space. GM’s costume is also sleek, with a velvet jumper, jewelry, and a large purse (though Gogerty notes that GM is not glamorous and I’m not sure these design choices support that). The playwright also suggests that GM sits at the head of a U or V-shaped table, and this layout would have best supported the play. Instead, the layout allows for GM to roam the audience, with room for large physical storytelling. A prop designed by Rachel Adams creates a surprising amount of spectacle. The food served is fresh and tasty, and the atmosphere is quite warm and enjoyable.
The Count’s Den, 1039 South Olive St., downtown LA. Sat., 7 pm, Sun., 5 pm; thru April 6. https://www.leonixtheatre.org/ Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
