The themes behind Johnny Garcia’s thoughtful play, “Satisfy Me” are nothing new. Love and marriage, infidelity, chronic immaturity, self-indulgence and plain old lust have been explored and disseminated since the beginning of theater itself. Nevertheless, “Satisfy Me” delivers as a freshly rendered and well-written take on our steadfast weaknesses.
Based in NYC “Satisfy Me” begins with Jack (played by the playwright himself), a thirtysomething architect who is just starting to become disenchanted with his nine-year marriage to Julie (Josie Whittlesey). He’s dreaming about his flirty, young secretary Dana (Samantha Quan) and developing an increasingly sexually charged rapport with her at the office. And then, out of the blue Jack’s old high school buddy, the once strapping and popular football hero, Woody (Victor Williams) shows up at Jack’s office declaring that he has popped the question to the love of his life. There’s only one problem though. Woody’s fiancée, Gwen (Kate Guyton) insists that although she loves Woody and would love nothing more than to marry him, she simply cannot remain faithful in a relationship. As long as Woody can handle her inevitable infidelities and promises that he will remain faithful to her, then she will become his wife.
At this point Jack becomes incensed by the lunacy of Woody’s predicament. He cannot fathom why the guy who had “thirty girlfriends” in high school would settle for such an insane compromise. He rages against the impossibility of maintaining a marriage with the promise of infidelity hovering overhead. He insists that Woody stay with him and Julie for a while until Woody can come to his senses and extricate himself from his relationship. Although Woody is madly in love with Gwen, his confusion and uncertainty over the situation allows him to take Jack up on his offer.
Back at Jack and Julie’s we meet Jack’s younger sister, Flynn (Anney Giobbe). She’s a manic and hysterical struggling artist who loses it when she sees Woody. Back in high school when she was a drama-nerd she asked the popular football hero to the Sadie Hawkins dance only to be stood up and humiliated when he showed up with another girl. No one holds a grudge like Flynn who rails and screams at Woody even as he apologizes profusely over his wrongdoings from the past. She even refuses to give him back his class ring that she stole as retribution after his public high school snub.
By the end of the first act, Jack’s flirtation with Dana is accelerating into something more tangible, Gwen’s affairs are becoming a psycho-sexual mind-bend for Woody and Julie’s reaction towards Woody’s attention is increasingly romantic. This whole mess is punctuated by the sweetest flashbacks to Jack and Julie’s relationship from their post high school crush to their mid-twenty’s miscarriage to their settled married life on the eve of the millennium. These flashbacks serve to remind us of the context of true love, even in the face of mounting pressures, disappointments and desires of the present.
Under the careful direction of Andrew Borba all of the performances in “Satisfy Me” are noteworthy. Given the small theater, spare set design and shallow space between the stage and audience the actors neither come off as self-conscious nor allow themselves to drop out of the moment. There was a noticeable ease and relatability towards the delivery of the dialogue. A special mention must be made about Christopher Michael Bauer who plays seven smaller characters without whom the play would unhinge. His performances are singular and unique, at times comedic, other times heartbreaking, all delivered in the space of just a handful of words.
“Satisfy Me” is the theater equivalent of the TV show “thirtysomething”, only now the soundtrack is Violent Femmes and Eminem. The characters are flawed and confused, but at the core, they’re good people just looking for love and stability, comfort and satisfaction. This second authored play by Johnny Garcia is smartly written, beautifully performed and so well directed you can’t believe it’s over when the lights fall at the end of the second act. Bravo to the cast and crew of “Satisfy Me” most of whom are graduates of the highly lauded NYU Graduate Acting Program and Tisch Design Program.
The JayVee Squad in Association with The Collection and Eracism Productions Presents: “Satisfy Me” an original play written by Johnny Garcia
Featuring: Victor Williams
Directed by Andrew Borba
Where:
The Lillian Theater at Elephant Stageworks
6322 Santa Monica Blvd.
Shows:
May 17 to June 17 Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm
Tickets:
15$
Call (323) 960-7789 for information and reservations.
More info and bios at www.satisfyme.tv
