Southern Gothic Novel: A Review

A gentle mist rises from the dew-strewn pond; the brittle magnolia leaves cast a stark shadow, drawn long by the rising moon, in the far off distance there's a low rumble of thunder and the occasional flash of lightning, but no rain; this is the scene in Aberdeen Mississippi at one minute prior to 11PM on any night USA. Frank Blocker is your narrator (as well as 16 other character) in this modern Southern fable which Mr. Blocker and Cheryl King Productions call "Southern Gothic Novel." Recently I was fortune enough to stumble upon this little gem of a show, playing at the Stage Left Studio on West 37th Street.

"Southern Gothic Novel" is a first of all a story which quickly becomes a rollicking romp through stereotypes, preconceptions, misinformation, as well as the brutal truths which surround every man. Written and performed by Mr. Blocker and deftly directed by Gabriel Shanks, this play primarily follows the exploits of Viola Haygood, her mother Donna Hazzler, and Viola's pursuit of one Mark Julius.

Donna is a single mother whose only goal seems to be to keep her daughter out of trouble while at the same time wanting her daughter's drama out of her life. Viola has dreams which keep her mind adrift and her best interests chiefly elsewhere. Mark Julius is a tall, dark, handsome shadow of a character that already has Viola's heart in his hands, even if he's not really aware of it yet.

"Southern Gothic Novel," is as escapist as one can get in the theatre and the yarn that's spun is equal parts cautionary tale, fairy tale, moralist tale, and Shakespearean comedy. It really requires a fair amount of cooperation between the audience and the player onstage but on the recent Monday night that I was there, it was a fairly full black box audience and everyone remained responsive and engaged.