michael young and rob salerno
photo by drasko bogdanovic
Torontonian playwright Rob Salerno is exceptional at scripting incredibly smart, topical, often catty, never hackneyed, sharp and pithy one-liners that are comically satisfying, and his newest play Big in Germany, which plays at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace as part of the 2010 Toronto Fringe Festival, is filled with them.
Despite Salerno’s talent for integrating inspired punch lines and popular culture references seamlessly into his dialogue, Big in Germany is a play centered on the deep relationship between its two characters. Alex and Bruce are best friends and they have dreamed of being rock stars since they began their band at twelve years old. After High School they get their big break and proceed to skyrocket into superstardom on a year-long tour in Germany. Upon returning to Toronto, however, they find themselves disenchanted with returning to their menial day jobs and Alex uncovers a deep secret about Bruce that threatens to tear their lovely friendship, and their professional partnership, apart forever.
Bruce also works for a porn company, in a twist that seems a bit far-fetched, but a choice that Salerno makes so strongly it is ultimately quite convincing. It also gives rise to Brad Hampton’s performance as the hilariously jaded Porno Producer, which is a great addition to the play. Michael Young plays Alex with a great boyish faith in his own enthusiasm and a nearly complete lack of perception of the reality of all the subtle emotions and dynamics that are in constant orbit around him. Salerno creates a very vulnerable and winsome Bruce, although he has a tendency to overplay some of his reactions.
Victor Correia’s direction reflects Salerno’s writing and continues to drive the momentum of the story. I found that I cared about these characters a lot and was captivated by the arc of the play, and ultimately the continuous succession of inspired and clever jokes is what I find the most unique and admirable about Rob Salerno’s voice as a playwright. In a community filled with people producing a wide array of plays about Canadian issues and themes of war, prejudice, poverty and suffering, it is refreshing to see a comedy of great dexterity and creative substance being written as well.
Ten Foot Pole Production’s Big in Germany plays on Sunday, July 11th at 3:30pm at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace. all tickets $10 at the door or book in advance by calling the fringe hotline at 416.966.1062 or go online at http://www.fringetoronto.com/.
