Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

Published on October 28, 2010 by Kevin Clarke   ·   No Comments

By Kevin Clarke, NYC – Quietly and without fanfare late last week the run of “The Deep Throat Sex Scandal” closed because the theatre it was playing in was closed due to a landlord dispute with the theatre’s tenant. The show opened on Sunday, received mixed reviews, played Tuesday and when they arrived to do the show on Wednesday they were locked out of the theatre by the landlord.

The play by David Bertolino, was directed by Jerry Douglas and I reviewed it here after the first night of previews. I loved the play saw it a total of four times. The last show was on the Friday before opening night where I had the surreal experience of seeing Chi Chi LaRue, and famed attorney Alan Dershowitz in the same place. Photo right – Jerry Douglas and Chi Chi Larue
Before it passes into the night there are some things that need to be said about this wonderful theatrical experience and it’s sensational cast. Anyone who has ever produced anything knows the feeling of what it is like to put your heart and soul into a project and come out with something tangible on the other end. Those who only talk about doing things, or talk about other’s work can’t really understand how these things become like one of your children, a part of you. I was lucky enough to see this production 4 times. Watched it grow, and watch a cast become a family, and without warning it all came crashing down.

The Play. The subject matter is one that is both serious, there is nothing more serious than an adult’s right to choose to watch adult films if they choose, and humorous, the film Deep Throat had some very humorous moments, right down to the clitoris in the throat. This play was both funny and poignant. It showed the violence and the underbelly of the porn world circa 1972 in a way that made you understand that it was real, yet not in a way that made it something that was only fear based. It was serious and tongue in cheek.  There were moments that made you laugh, there were moments that made you cry. There was joy and sadness. The consequences of the lifestyle as Harry Reems slipped into alcoholism were there, but not in a patronizing way. The challenge this play had was to take a salacious topic and not be gratuitous to just the sexual nature of it, but also address the legal and cultural issues of the time. Just seeing people relying on phones with cords alone is a shock now a days. The way two lawyers wrapped themselves up in the cords during a conversation spoke to just how different everything was back then. The play had to show you things that one often does not see, and make the participants seen not just naked actors but real people and it succeeded.

The Players. The production was blessed with many wonderful actors, and many equally wonderful performances. You cannot discuss “The Deep Throat Sex Scandal” without giving the highest praise possible to the lead performers Malcom Madera as Harry Reems, and Lori Gardner as Linda Lovelace.

The play is built around the Harry Reems character, and Malcom Madera was in a word “Brilliant”. He opens the play as it’s narrator, and from that moment on the stage belongs to him. The depth of his performance is astonishing, as it is layered in so many ways that by the end you feel as though you have known him forever, and that his life was normal. He is asked to do so many things that would be beyond the abilities of most actors and makes them look simple. It was like looking at Joe Namath in his prime win the first Superbowl for the NY Jets. He made the impossible seem easy, and he did it with class. He was challenged in so many ways to make a real statement about freedom, while being both human and vulnerable. There were some moments where his acting was so perfect that he was Harry Reems. The vulnerability of a Harry descending into alcohol abuse where he urinates in his pants while maintaing a pained expression was stunning in it’s power. In the space of one line he went to a young harry to an older one in a character transition that was brilliant. His final soliloquy where he was required to be facing the audience naked was both brave, and overwhelming in it’s power. The entire play comes together as Harry stands naked in front of the audience and laments how he was taken out of the film Grease because of his porn affiliation. His words something like “I was never so naked as I was when they stripped me of my dream” literally bring the play to life. Anyone who ever had a dream taken from them understood the feeling, understood the play, and understood that they were looking at a man who is going to be a major star. Malcom Madera took a difficult role made it his and became a star those nights, and will be a star in every sense of the word.

Lori Gardner as Linda Lovelace was revelation too watch. She made Linda vulnerable, and shy, yet able to hold her own and become a superstar in the world of porn. She was the victim of an abusive husband/manager Chuck Traynor, who she was able to break away from and go out on her own, and was played magnificently by Lori. She brought innocence to the character that belied the fact that she was going down on everything in sight. The way Lori was able to display fragility, and vulnerability, which turned into strength and self-assurance was both courageous and delicious.

The supporting cast was equally wonderful in the myriad of roles they played. One has to mention the bravura performance of Frank Blocker as Larry Parrish whose description of oral sex in the courtroom scene brought laughter that is still echoing through the empty theatre. John-Charles Kelly who as Gerad Damiano delivered so many lines so well had the audience in the palm of his hand when he said on the stand “there are really only 4 directors working today, Hitch, Orson, Kurosawa, and ME”.  Steven Hope who in his many roles shined as the mafia money man and said one of the best “capiche’s” ever delivered off-broadway or anywhere else. Rita Rehn whose varied characters lit up the stage almost stole the show with her performance of the dirty peep show cashier. Graham Stuart Allen who was brilliant in his varied roles, his part of porn performer “Minute Man” was a tour de farce that brought laugh after laugh. Last but not least dashingly there was handsome Zach Wegner, who played the vile abusive husband of Linda Lovelace, Chuck Traynor. He was as sleazy and abusive as you would expect any abuser to be. In his last scene of the play he displays intense anger when Linda calls to tell him to tell him she is leaving him, then does a lightning quick anger to sweetness transition saying “Come on baby it’s Chuckles” that gets a 10 on the creep meter and caught the nature of the abuser perfectly.

Then there was the work of Jerry Douglas himself. I can’t tell you how thrilling it was to see Jerry in his element working with the actors and trying on a nightly basis to encourage them and to get from them the best performances he could. You could see the dedication of a true professional who loved both the work, and the responsibility of being “The Director”. In a larger sense he represented the idea that if you keep after a dream it is attainable. Jerry at age 39 (a tip of the hat to Jack Benny there) worked for almost 2 years on the project and treated it with the devotion of a consummate professional who loved his work. His direction was sharp and crisp and he brought to the challenge the heart and talent of s true champion.

Then show business tragedy struck. The theatre management was in a dispute with the landlord, told no one and lost. The theatre was locked after only one performance after opening night. Sadly a week later the production was officially closed, and this wonderful dream, it’s cast and crew were no longer “Working”.  They were literally robbed of their run. No closing night, no onstage good-byes. Nothing. They were left however with the memory of the applause. The standing ovations, the knowledge that whatever had happened, whatever anyone said, the people loved them. It was a people’s play. The audience laughed, the audience realized that this was not just funny, but an important piece of theater that addressed censorship, and the rights of all of us to see what we want to see.

I started off by mentioning the surreal feeling I had when Chi Chi LaRue came to see the play. I had not seen him in several years and spent cherished time with him sitting next to him in the third row. (Jerry always treats his guests well). It meant a lot to Jerry to have Chi Chi there and Chi Chi laughed and howled with everyone else. At Intermission I said to Jerry there is someone who looks a lot like Alan Dershowitz in the house. He said yes that’s Alan Dershowitz. The idea that one of the most famous lawyers that ever lived was rubbing elbows with two of the greatest XXX directors that ever lived was a moment that brought into perspective the real achievement of David Bertolino’s “The Deep Throat Sex Scandal”. David had a dream, he pursued it, hired wonderful people and produced a wonderful show.

There are not words to express how amazing this journey was in reality. That it got on stage was an amazing achievement. How the NY run ended was a true tale of show business. Right out of theatre lore like “The Producers”. It’s future is left to be sorted out, there are hopes to continue it later. The driving force thet brought it to the stage is still there so one can assume it will be back. I hope it does, because Jerry will be 40 someday and that would be a perfect birthday gift. The End came swiftly for a group of actors that poured their hearts into countless hours of rehearsals, of the sharing of their gifts with the public, then it was gone. As they say “That’s show biz”. It may have ended sadly, but it was a hoot while it lasted.

So before David Bertolino’s “The Deep Throat Sex Scandal” goes into that good night, I want it to go with a tip of the Irish hat for a job well done, and a joy it brought to me, and all those who were lucky enough to see it, and  in the end the realization that dreams are worth having, and even better when  they are realized.

Tags: Chi Chi Larue, Jerry Douglas, new york, play