By: Mira Vasiljevic
At: Gorilla Tango Theatre,
1919 N. Milwaukee
Phone: 773-598-4549; $15
Through March 28
BY SCOTT C. MORGAN
The title Monster Garden suggests either a horror flick about cultivated killers or a Muppet horticulture segment on Sesame Street. Oddly enough, elements of both genres cross in Mira Vasiljevic's world-premiere play at Gorilla Tango Theatre.
Monster Garden confusingly grows around Addy ( Stephanie Sullivan ) , a troubled woman who joins an alcoholic support group. It's easy to assume that Addy was abused growing up, what with her inward body language and defensive stares.
And, wow, what a horror-filled childhood Vasiljevic has given poor Addy. Through flashbacks, we discover that Addy was regularly procured to lure male pedophiles home so her man-hating caretaker, Ennis ( Katy Lacio ) , could having violent sex with the men ( sometimes after they raped Addy ) before killing them off vigilante style. Then Addy would assist with burying the body.
Of course, Addy's support group knows nothing of her bloody past. There are Nick ( Dan Behrendt ) and Ed ( Jeremy Young ) , who both have crushes on Addy, while sanctimonious counselor Paul ( Scott Canielson ) spends most of his time harshly criticizing blond and repentant former party girl Jenny ( Susan Fletcher ) .
Will the group's human interaction and affection sway Addy away from the vengeful and deceased Ennis? Or will Ennis' visits from the grave reinforce Addy's view that all men are pigs?
That's the question behind Vasiljevic's stop-and-start-paced 'stop her before she kills again' thriller. As a film, Monster Garden could easily have handled the time shifts and aging differences with ease.
What's on stage in this limited-resources physical production is another matter. Character doubling is frequently puzzling. Instead of a full costume change, Young's only differentiation between the pedophile Sam and support groupie Ed is a Clark Kent glasses switch. ( A quick change would also have helped Sullivan's takes on the childhood and grown Addys. ) Deciphering when Ennis is in flashback or phantom form is confusing as well.
It's too bad that P. Marston Sullivan's frequently clunky direction doesn't clarify the messy puzzle Vasiljevic sets in place for the audience to piece through. Though a certain amount of mystery is needed to lure audiences in, Vasiljevic hasn't got the right mix just yet.
On the positive side, each actor brings nuance to his or her characterizations, with high marks especially for Behrendt as Nick. They're also physically fearless, grinding on the small patch of dirt during violent fights and sex scenes.
Monster Garden certainly could get some mileage as a B-movie action thriller, even if it regurgitates the 'those who are abused grow up to become abusers themselves' psychobabble line.
As Monster Garden stands now, it could do with more polishing as it urges parents not to let their Sesame Street-watching daughters grow up to be monsters, particularly of the 2003 Charlize-Theron-as-Aileen-Wuornos film Monster variety.