In the program for Me Love Me, playwright Brandon Baruch assures us "Don't worry...you can take a nice long shower tomorrow morning." He wasn't kidding. Me Love Me delves into the chaos of Hollywood life; and not the view from the top which we're accustomed to seeing on TV. We're exposed to the clawing and desperate underbelly of Hollywood. Actors with miserable day jobs in customer service, coke-fueled "networking" parties at night. The narcissism and backstabbing will ring familiar to most Fringe theatregoers, and it's a subject that may always have us in its thrall.
There are two characters named Tuck. One is a spoiled man-child with a sense of entitlement, the other is his literal clone who is scientifically four years old. Both have the same level of maturity, only the original Tuck is a jaded actor with an uncanny ability to bullshit. Then there's Gemma, a performance artist who's as level-headed as someone can be with a Xanax addiction. After a night of binging on booze and drugs, both Tucks steer down a road that will change the course of their lives, and Gemma is left to pick up the pieces, sans Xanax.
This play is at both times funny and disturbing, as it steers us down paths that make the viewers shift in their seats. Actor Benjamin Durham was convincingly deplorable. In fact, I believe I was unconsciously sneering at him as he addressed the audience after the show. Which goes to show how talented he is and how ridiculous I am. Actress Lizzie Adelman was endearing, and had a chance to shine during her segment as performance artist. She cackled in an oh-my-God-I'm-going-to-have-a-nervous-breakdown kind of way, and we ate it up. But I certainly didn't wait until morning to take that nice, long shower.
