July 20 - July 26, 1995

B y  J a n a  R i v e r a

PASSION IS A wonderful thing. The object of the passion doesn't really matter--chocolate, stark white walls, a lover, civil rights demonstrations. Life can be lived without it, of course, but it won't be sweet. Passion is the indulgence that keeps us sane, keeps us from flipping out over the big, unanswered questions of life. Passion drives us into the shadows; we see the danger signs, but if the passion is true, we don't turn back.

In his 1986 play, Burn This, Lanford Wilson writes about passion. He does so with intensely strong characterizations and keen dialogue. Su Teatro takes Wilson's words, adds four talented actors, and creates a piece of theatre that will certainly arouse your deepest memory of dangerous passion.

Anna (Carrie Hill) believes that her passion is dance. She grieves over the tragic death of her roommate and dance partner, but she continues to choreograph, and her world remains relatively safe and untouched. Larry (Django Voris), her other roommate, provides companionship and her lover, Burton (Scott Seitsberg), provides stable, riskless adoration.

But when Pale (Eugene Montes) shows up to collect his dead brother's belongings, he jars Anna's security in a way that allows no recovery. She knows that giving in to her passion for Pale will take her into a darkness she's unprepared for, but she's helpless to stop it.

Wilson brings together diverse characters--in this case, Anna, traveling in New York's high society and arts crowd, with Pale, a wise-guy wanna-be who dresses the part right down to the gun strapped under his arm, but spends his hours managing a fancy restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey. To complete the disparate group, Wilson throws in Larry, a lovable, gay advertising executive, and Burton, a rich-from-birth, science-fiction screenwriter.

Each of Wilson's characters, however, emerge with a realistic tenderness and warmth. There are winners and losers, but there are no bad guys here.

Under Ken Tesoriere's competent direction (although a little heavy handed at times), the four cast members mostly succeed in portraying the depth and complexity of Wilson's characters. Montes, the founder of Su Teatro, demands the audience's attention from his first moment on stage, with an engaging performance of Pale's gruff exterior. But before long, Montes allows Pale's bottled up pain to seep convincingly into his performance, and from there he delivers a seductive combination of machismo and vulnerability.

Hill, reunited with the role of Anna (which she played six years ago in a Los Angeles production), does a fine job here, but she's not quite able to expose the layers lurking beneath the surface of Anna's character. Seitsberg, too, plays Burton a little softly, but credibly.

Voris, however, stands out with an extraordinary performance as Larry, a mixed bag of anguish masked with humor, and tenderness masked with sharp wit.

Su Teatro's staff presents a top-quality, professional production.

Su Teatro's production of Burn This continues with performances today through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Historic Y Theatre, 738 N. Fifth Ave. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Call 740-1402 for reservations and information.

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