Chase Rosenberg, Adrian-Gonzalez, Thomas Hobson, and Karen Maruyama (Photo by Jeff Lorch)
Reviewed by Katie Buenneke
HorseChart Theatre at the Matrix
Through July 20
RECOMMENDED
Psycho Beach Party, now playing in a guest production at the Matrix Theatre, is an absurd, frenetic romp, and buckets of fun.
The play, by Charles Busch, is a parody of 1950s beach movies (it was originally titled Gidget Goes Psychotic), but this production, directed by Ryan Bergmann and Tom DeTrinis, works even for those unfamiliar with that medium.
This production feels like a vehicle for Drew Droege, an L.A.-based comedian, who plays the lead role, now named Chicklet. Chicklet is a tomboyish teenage girl who dreams of being allowed to surf in Malibu with the guys. But her mother (played by co-director DeTrinis at the performance I attended) keeps Chicklet on a short leash. Chicklet, with the help of one of her alter egos, Anne Bowman, convinces surfing legend Kanaka (Karen Maruyama) to teach her. But the problem is, no one really likes Chicklet, except her best friend, Berdine (Danielle Gaither); the men of Malibu decidedly prefer when she’s Anne Bowman, a dominatrix.
As one might expect from the title, Psycho Beach Party, which originally premiered in New York in 1986, is neither a sensitive nor a realistic portrayal of dissociative identity disorder (a condition previously referred to as multiple personality disorder). It is, instead, a campy feast that knows exactly who its audience is. I would hazard a guess that the audience was 90% men at the performance I attended, and they ate up every crumb they were served. DeTrinis and Chase Rosenberg (who plays movie star Bettina Barnes in some performances, including the one I attended) in particular got plenty of laughs for their affected diction and gait. Adrián González and Daniel Montgomery are also a hoot as very, very, close friends and surfer bros Yo-Yo and Provoloney.
The highlight of the show, though, is seeing Droege switch between Chicklet’s various personas, especially at the end of the show, where Droege is turning on a dime. Droege’s performance works in perfect synchronization with RS Buck’s lighting design and quick calls from production stage manager Rich Wong, to help the audience know which alter ego is speaking, and it’s quite fun watching Droege hop in and out of each one.
The show does lag a bit in the middle, and could likely benefit from trimming about 20 minutes, so that it’s leaner with more laughs. There are also a few mentions of mysterious corpses on the beach, so I was expecting more (or really, any) blood to be spattered across the wide stage of the Matrix, which is otherwise effectively used in DeTrinis and Bergmann’s staging.
But those are ultimately minor quibbles about a show that is just downright fun. Psycho Beach Partyis an over-the-top, madcap, campy romp, and great fun for gay people, and those who love them.
The Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles through July 20. Thurs.-Sun. at 7 p.m. https://horsechart.ludus.com/index.php. Running time: 95 minutes with no intermission.
