Naked Came the Neighbor
Reviewed by Lara J. Altunian
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group
Through July 14
RECOMMENDED
Nosy neighbors, nauseating neighbors, and nude neighbors, oh my! Michael Sargent’s Naked Came the Neighbor is a hilarious hour-long foray between a coke-snorting rock star and the naturalist living next door. Sabotage and mysticism play a strong role in this battle of wills as both sides begin to convince those around them to join their comical pro and anti-clothes crusades. Zombie Joe’s cast does a fantastic job of keeping the material engaging throughout, making this laugh-out-loud show a brief, but playful escape to the theater.
Bianca Maxwell (Julie Summer) is a washed-up rock ’n’ roller with altogether too much time on her hands. Her husband, Dodgers star Mike Van Patten (Sargent), is a former baseball champion experiencing a three-year dry spell in his career. They’ve been living in their expensive 2 million dollar Redondo Beach home for six months before suddenly discovering that their neighbor is a (gasp) nudist! Bianca has seen him roaming around in his enclosed, Elysian garden at all hours, thanks to “a geometric trick of the skylight.” Mike seems unperturbed, but the drugged-out, punk rock star is outraged and feels a strong need to intervene.
However, there’s something strange about the naked neighbor, aptly-named Rasputin (Brian P. Newkirk). He seems to have mysterious abilities that venture into the realm of clairvoyance and spiritual influence — all of which drives Bianca crazy. How can she get him to comply with her demands if he’s able to win over everyone he meets? The ensuing war is an entertaining look at freedom and stubbornness, with just enough ridicule thrown in to keep the subject from becoming too serious.
Maxwell is very funny as the mullet-sporting, partying queen of nothing-better-to-do suddenly turned conservative at the thought of someone with an alternative lifestyle that might affect her (soon revealed to be drab) day-to-day. Her nagging outbursts display an ironically elitist attitude that drolly contradicts her anti-establishment look. Sargent is equally amusing as the laid back, yet sensitive husband who unknowingly exacerbates the conflict through his interactions with Rasputin. Newkirk absolutely steals the show with his demonic faces and quick, darting movements. He is able to simultaneously spook the audience and make himself entirely likeable, all while remaining stark naked on stage throughout almost the entirety of his performance. Jason Britt adds just the right dose of unexpected delight as unassuming cop Greg.
Admittedly, the script isn’t perfect. There are quite a few slow spots in the second half of the play where the humor lulls and the husband-and-wife arguments seem to drag on without adding much to the plot. However, the four-person cast ensures viewers remain interested in the characters’ fates until the very end. Likewise, Brandon Slezak’s lighting design helps maintain Rasputin’s enigmatic vibe all the way through.
As in typical Zombie Joe fashion, Naked Came the Neighbor will only run for two more weekends. Anyone over 18 and okay with gratuitous nudity (“We’re all adults here.”) is sure to have a good time!
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Sat.-Sun., 8:30 p.m.; through Jul. 14. (818) 202-4120 or www.zombiejoes.tix.com. Running time: one hour with no intermission.
