Geekscape Theater Reviews: ‘Taste’
“You’re invited to the most disturbing dinner party of the year. Based on a shocking true story, two men meet online and make a unique arrangement: one will kill, cook, and eat the other. Taste imagines their first and only meeting, told in real time, in a working kitchen”.
I attended a performance of Taste knowing only as much as the statement above alludes to and I had a wickedly good time! If you are a fan of horror/the macabre or excellent theater, then you need to see Taste!
The story unfolds in real time over 90 minutes (no intermission). It starts off with fastidious Terry (played by Donal Thomas-Cappello) cooking and prepping his upscale city apartment for his guest. I loved that he actually cooked and the smell of onions added an extra dimension to the experience. Soon, nervous and awkward Vic (played by Chris L. McKenna) arrives and things are off to a rocky start. Vic does not care for the food Terry has been working on but both want to make this an evening they won’t forget.
Terry pours a drink while Vic tries to help out in the kitchen The set is exceptional and looks like it could be a set from a TV show. There is even a working faucet and stove! It felt like a real space that two actors inhabited and the staging worked out perfectly to show you just enough during the gory segments. There is one off stage room, the bathroom, but the actors are mostly on stage the whole time.
The acting was superb! Both gentlemen responded to each other and worked off each other’s energy. You could see the intimacy and the whole time you have a sense of voyeurism as you watch they two people try and connect. They are both so committed the whole time that you cannot look away, well, at least not until the cringe worthy parts.
Just to give you a fair warning, this play is not for the squeamish. If you don’t mind gore or can at least stomach it, you will be fine. It is amazing that even though you know it is fake, everyone in the audience with me still cringed/groaned/gasped together. The special effects are provided by Tony Doublin and the special makeup effects are by Gabe Bartalos. Combined with the staging, the effects make you believe the horror that is happening on stage.
Stuart Gordon directed and has brought out the best performance from his two actors. He is also known for directing Re-Animator and Re-Animator The Musical. Yes, there is blood, but not quite as much as the “splash zones” of Re-Animator The Musical. Taste was written by Benjamin Brand whose script is full of engaging dialogue. The conversations between Thomas-Capello and McKenna sound like everyday conversations, except for the whole cannibalism part (hopefully).
Taste is surprisingly funny. Most of the night is like an awkward date and the jokes that arise from those situations are fairly relatable. Even during one of the most shocking/bloody segments, there is still humor. If you want to see some intense theater, enjoy horror, and are able to laugh at gore, or if are just looking for something a little different, then you should go see Taste!
