Summer Camp at the Factory Theatre - Mini-Review of "Psycho Beach Party"

Meyer as Marvel Ann, Joey C. Pelletier as Chicklet, and Elizabeth Battey as BerdinePhoto by Debut Cinematic/Karen Ladany

Two popular Boston fringe theater companies have combined forces - and farces - this summer to produce "Psycho Beach Party" by Charles Busch.  Heart & Dagger Production is collaborating with Happy Medium Theatre to produce this fluffy summer satire.  Think about Alfred Hitchcock bumping into Annette Funicello and creating a send-up of the "Beach Blanket Bingo" genre of summer movies from the '50's and '60's with a hint of "Marnie"  thrown in.  The performance space of the South End's Factory Theatre has been transformed into a surfers' beach.  Think of the experience of watching this play as summer beach reading at the theater - fun and not too demanding on the audience.  It is all fluff and cotton candy, thinly layered over themes of abuse, multiple personalities and the repression of homosexuality in the days of the Silent Majority.

The cast is anchored by Joey C. Pelletier in high camp as Chicklet Forrest, a teenage tomboy who suffers from multiple personalities because of some early childhood trauma involving her brother.  Much of the fun of this production is watching Mr. Pelletier transmogrify into the various personas that are contained within the flat-chested body of aspiring surfer Chicklet.  The actor careens from portraying a black check out girl, an elderly talk show hostess (think Dr. Ruth), a male model, an accounting firm and a femme fatale vixen and dominatrix known as Ann Bowman.  The rest of the cast orbit around the super nova that is Pelletier and his variable energy field.  Under the direction of Barbara DiGirolamo, the ensemble includes Elizabeth Battey, Mike Budwey, Mikey DiLoreto, Lauren Foster, Amy Meyer, Daniel J. Raps, Francisco Marquez and Audrey Lynn Sylvia.

You have only three days to dip your toes in the water of this fun frolic at the Factory.  Remaining performances are Thursday, Aug. 1, Friday, Aug. 2 and Saturday, Aug.3 at 8:00 PM.

For tickets:

psychobeachparty.brownpapertickets.com

Heart and Dagger website

Enjoy!

Al