KC Rep premieres one-man show ‘Palomino’

PALOMINO

When you want something done right, sometimes it’s best to just do it yourself.

This philosophy is taken to an impressive extreme in the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s production of David Cale’s “Palomino.”

Cale not only wrote and directed the affecting drama, but also performs all of the roles in an engaging series of monologues.

“Palomino” revolves around the sexual exploits of an Irish carriage driver who works in New York’s Central Park. Kieran McGrath is a handsome and personable young man who wants to be an author.

His life changes dramatically when one of his riders, a woman named Marsha, offers him an interesting proposition. She pitches him a load of dough to be a gigolo, providing company and sexual favors to wealthy Upper East Side matrons.

Kieran relates his experiences with three women he encounters in this professional capacity. And, intriguingly, Cale also offers the view of these relationships from the feminine perspective of Trish, Ruby and Vallie.

Their stories are funny, sad and sometimes touching. Cale skillfully turns the stories back on one another, allowing us to hear similar events as described from a totally different viewpoint.

All of the characters are beautifully rendered and Cale easily keeps the audience riveted for the play’s 90 minutes.

The only glitch is the inclusion of two additional characters, Edward, a publishing executive, and Peter, another carriage driver. Their presence seems artificially tacked on to steer the play toward a conclusion.

But that’s a minor snag in an otherwise compelling one-man tour de force.

“Palomino,” runs through Nov. 15 at the Rep’s Copaken Stage, 13th and Walnut streets, Kansas City, Mo. For information, call (816) 235-2700 or visit www.kcrep.org.

MAUL OF THE DEAD

Flesh-eating zombies have invaded Crown Center! Coterie patrons, run for your lives!

“Maul of the Dead” is an original sequel to the Coterie Theatre’s wildly popular stage rendition of the classic 1968 horror film, “Night of the Living Dead.”

Written by local screenwriter and film critic Mitch Brian, “Maul of the Dead” is the latest in the “Coterie at Night” series that targets 16- to 21-year-olds. Like its predecessor, this grisly spoof is not for the renowned children’s theater’s normal pre-pubescent demographic.

Elaborately produced and imaginatively mounted by director Ron Megee, “Maul of the Dead” continues the twisted story of a mysterious plague that has turned much of humanity into the walking dead. The year is 1978, 10 years after the contagion initially surfaced.

Paramilitary officers Frank (Tosin Morohunfola) and Lewis (Matt Weiss) have holed up in a Kansas City J.C. Penney store while hoards of ravenous ghouls wander just outside the store’s chain security gate.

Soon, a TV weathergirl named Wendy (Kimberely Queen) and a traffic chopper pilot named John (Greg Krumins) join them in this refuge. Other survivors include Charlie the perfume counter girl (Ashleigh Murray) and Donna (Meredith Wolfe), a punk rocker with a thick British accent.

These humans have plenty of conflicts among them that make their battle against the mall-roaming zombies all the more difficult. One involves Donna’s boyfriend, Cody (Cody Wyoming), who has already become the walking dead but continues to play ear-splitting electric guitar to accompany the gory mayhem.

Brian’s cheeky script exploits some of the sillier aspects of 1970s culture. So do the zombies. The rambling hoard includes a disco king, a mime and a red-nosed clown.

While the play’s manic energy seems pretty strained at times, “Maul of the Dead” is mostly a gruesomely guilty pleasure.

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