Adolescence, with all its lunacy and high drama, is the subject of Shaun Pfautsch's beguiling new play "The Attempters," a House Theatre production currently playing at The Building Stage. It should be required viewing for actual teens, and is definitely recommended to those who have the courage to relive those terrifying years.
Danny Hackles (the dynamic Chris Mathews) is a 17 year old, convinced that he is destined for fame; he's just not sure how. Rock stardom, life coaching, language creating and filmmaking are only a few of his wild schemes. He's talented and energetic, but also extraordinarily self-absorbed and heedless of the harm he causes to those around him—a typical smart teen, in other words. With great wit and far more honesty than most treatments of the high-school experience, the plays shows Danny being dragged against his will into something like maturity. Stumbling forward with him are his put-upon best friend, Finn (the charmingly awkward Johnny Arena); the feisty Nola (Mary Winn Heider, delightful), who chafes at his image of her as a perfect love object; and Sam (Robyn Senchak), the aspiring actress who reduces Finn to complete incoherence. Paul Fagen and Lauren Vitz play the designated adults with far more vibrancy than such characters are usually allowed in depictions of teenage life.
Stories about 17 year olds rarely have the intelligence and maturity to look outside of their characters limited worldviews, and the real strength of Pfautsch's play is that it both acknowledges the intensity of Danny's feelings and needs and accurately shows the impact his adolescent flailing has on the people in his life. However, the play and production are anything but earnest, overflowing with humor and energy. In the end, it's a fairy tale where the treasure is growing up, not staying a child.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
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