by Joe Buffaloe
Daily Lobo
Winning the lottery isn't always as nice as it sounds.
For instance, you can be stuck with the winning ticket in jail. And your cell mate could be a deranged pedophile named Bilbo Baggins.
All of your hopes depend on your girlfriend. She must steal her roommate's treasured chair and pawn it for you to have any hope of cashing in your prize.
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This is the premise behind the play "The Chair," which premieres Friday at Gorilla Tango Theatre. It is written and directed by Aaron Frale, and performed by the comedy troupe Eat, Drink and Be Larry.
"We mainly do sketch shows," Frale said. "'The Chair' definitely has a sketch comedy vibe, but it's been fun doing something with a full-length plot."
"The Chair" was originally conceived at a playwriting contest called the Big 24. The play had to be written, rehearsed and performed within 24 hours. Originally, it was only three minutes long and featured two characters. The play was later expanded to include a five-member cast and a longer running time.
The troupe has done full-length shows before, including "Dracula Goes to College" and "Hamlet the Vampire Slayer."
Even if "The Chair" doesn't feature vampires, it sounds no less absurd.
"The play moves back and forth between the present, flashbacks and characters talking to their subconscious," Frale said. "One character thinks he's Luke Skywalker, so he sees his subconscious as Obe Won Kenobi and Yoda."
The performance will be heavy on improvisation.
"We get to the plot eventually," said Leslie Nesbit, who plays the owner of the chair. "But most of the time it's just jokes. We're just having fun with it."
Frale likens rehearsals to the Austin Powers movies.
"They had scripts, but they didn't necessarily follow them," he said. "With this script, there's a lot of room to throw in lines. As far as comedy is concerned, it's always better to play around."
He characterizes Gorilla Tango as "a good time theater."
"It's kind of a carnival atmosphere," he said. "We've had shows where people were hooting and cheering from the audience. You don't have to just sit down in silence the whole time."
The play is not without drama, though.
"The focus is on two best friends," Nesbit said. "One thinks her friend has cheated with her boyfriend, and they're both fighting over this chair, so it's pretty intense sometimes."
Frale, who graduated from UNM with a degree in theater and playwriting, attributes his success to his education.
"I took a comedy writing class from Digby Wolfe, and it got me interested in writing more," he said. "He was a really inspiring teacher."
