Midlife crises usually fall somewhere between 35 and 45 years of age. Now in its 34th production, Salt Lake Acting Company's "Saturday's Voyeur" is close to that crucial juncture.
The latest chapter in the ongoing satire of Utah culture is dubbed "The Mormon Moment" and takes its action directly inside the LDS Church Office Building. The story explores Mormon perspectives on gay rights and pits Elder Marriott, crusader for orthodoxy and an LDS Church administrative honcho played by Justin Ivie, against more enlightened employees such as Nephi Jensen, played by Austin Archer, and Mormella, played by Kelsie Jepsen.
Weaving in and out of the proceedings is the triple-threat actor Steven Fehr, who plays Elder Spencer, "Godzicka"— a mash-up of every Utah liberal's worst legislative nightmare — and Moroni. Perpetual dread for President Barack Obama is alleviated when Mitt, played by Trent Cox, appears on the scene, and there's a whole mess of proxy baptisms between dialogue that mates stand-up comedy with stand-your-ground drama.
At 2 hours and 45 minutes long — with two intermissions — "Saturday's Voyeur" is either a glorious night of "gotcha" revelry for non-Mormons, or a vast echo chamber of witty but also wearisome humor for liberal Utah. Theater critic Barbara Bannon and Tribune arts reporter Ben Fulton, debate its merits.
Bannon • I've seen productions in the past that worked because they were sharp and focused. The 2010 production was much sharper, even if it was too much of a good thing. Last night, as I checked my notes, it was really flat in places. The attacks were too broad, and there was too much emphasis on LDS revulsion for all things gay. As good as Fehr is playing [conservative lobbyist] Ruzicka, it's time to retire that role. It's been done too often.
Fulton • It's interesting to ask whether or not "Saturday's Voyeur" should be critiqued alongside earlier incarnations in its legacy, or as a stand-alone production that theatergoers might be experiencing for the very first time. Dropping my critic's hat, I noticed lots of people having a great time. Afterward, I discovered they were seeing it either for the first time, or the first time in years.
Bannon • Good point. Sometimes it bothers me that I'm sitting here with everyone laughing and I'm not. But as a critic, I'm not supposed to do that. I'm supposed to look deeper. How does the whole thing fly? Not too well. It flaps its wings, dive-bombs when crude jokes mask dead-ends of creativity, then soars out of it. Is it a variety show? A narrative with a plot-line? It tries to be both.
Fulton • The humor was more effective when cute, rather than mean. The audience groaned at a reference to "the mark of Cain." But the humor really shined for "Man or Mormon," with the cast coddling its plastic tankards of soda. It was so true to local culture.
Bannon • Cynthia Fleming's choreography and direction were very clever and energetic throughout. "Follow Mitt" at the end of Act 1, "Sister Wife" at the end of Act 2 and "Everything's Coming Up Mormon" to start Act 3 were great production numbers.
The women in this production were really strong. Jepsen and Kalyn West, along with Emilie Starr, Elena Dern and Lauren Noll as the "Skittle Sisters" were very entertaining. But some people in the cast, like Alexis Baigue, were kind of wasted and should have had far more to do. Overall, there was a gap between the material and the professional way it was presented. The material often wasn't worth the energy the actors were giving it.
Fulton • What kind of production would result if a group of Mormon theater professionals created something similar to "Voyeur" that mocked Utah's non-Mormon culture? Satire, it seems, should open people's eyes to their own faults and foibles. SLAC did that last year to an extent, lampooning Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. It would be nice to see more of that. Laughing at others gets tired. I want to laugh at myself, too.
Bannon • There were a couple of places they just shouldn't have gone, for instance when Moroni was singing about Joseph Smith and the golden plates. It's legitimate to snipe at the cultural stuff — Jewish groups have called the church out for its baptism of Holocaust victims — but not so acceptable to make fun of what people believe in.
Fulton • My favorite line of all was, "Mitt Romney is so Mormon, he'd rather that young people get married than get a job."
Bannon • My favorite was probably, "Being a Democrat is something guys from Layton just don't do." I liked that the show ended on an upbeat number and positive message. The problem with Mitt is, "What can you say that zeroes in on him?" The "Tithing" number set to Cabaret's "Money" was clever, but it's hard to peg Romney. He's so amorphous. What else could SLAC say except that he has so much money and wants everyone else's 10 percent so he can run for president?
Fulton • The message seemed to be that when you're bland, you need all the money you can get. Not very funny, maybe. But very, very true.
bfulton@sltrib.comTwitter:@Artsalt —
'Saturday's Voyeur' 2012: 'The Mormon Moment'
P Playing through Sept. 2; Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 and 6 p.m.
Where • Salt Lake Acting Company, 168 W. 500 North, Salt Lake City
Information • $35-$55. Call 801-363-SLAC or visit http://www.saltlakeactingcompany.org for more information.
