Small Engine Repair
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Cititour.com Review
Truth be told, John Pollono’s Small Engine Repair, now being presented by MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel, is the kind of play that you should know as little about as possible. So why write a review (or read one)? Because I want our readers to see this twisty, often hilarious 75-minute thriller, since it proves to be an extraordinarily satisfying theatrical work.
Here’s what I will tell you. The play concerns the reunion of New Hampshire repair shop owner Frank (played with forthright believability by Pollono) and his two oldest friends: the sweet, dim-witted Packie (the excellent James Ransone) and the slightly slimy Swaino (a very convincing James Badge Dale), who likes to brag about his many – and usually younger – high-school conquests. As we soon learn, Swaino and Packie haven’t seen each other in a while, nor have they paid much attention to Frank or his (unseen) 17-year-old daughter Crystal.
After a whole-lot of booze-fueled, profanity-laced reminiscences, barbs, and evasions – and more than a few speeches reminiscent of David Mamet – the seemingly aimless plot takes a sharp turn once Frank announces he’s invited a new acquaintance, preppy college student Chad (Keegan Allen of TV’s “Pretty Little Liars”), to drop by and sell the gang some Ecstasy.
Considering that Frank admits he’s never taken the drug before, and that it hardly seems plausible that he met Chad playing pick-up basketball in Cambridge, it’s not entirely surprising that Frank may have other motives for having him come by – or for getting Swaino and Packie to come over at the last minute. And that’s all I’ll say, because the remainder of the show should leave you guessing as to what will happen -- and why.
The play, which first premiered in Los Angeles, gets a first-rate production here, especially thanks to Richard Hoover’s spot-on re-creation of Frank’s shop and Jo Bonney’s taut direction. All four actors do exemplary work, including Allen, who quickly proves he’s more than a pretty face, nailing Chad’s mixture of arrogance, entitlement, and immaturity.
Once this “Engine” starts, it just keeps going. And, better still, Pollono wisely knows when to shut it off.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.mcctheater.org
Open/Close Dates
Opening 11/20/2013
Closing 12/21/2013
Theatre Info
Lucille Lortel Theatre
121 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
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