Review - Missionary Position (Geveryman Productions and the New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Dorothy Shi
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

As part of Fringe NYC, Steven Fales brings the latest chapter in his Mormon Boy Trilogy to the stage. Despite his best intentions, Mission Position, does not deliver.

I have to confess that it's a little hard to write a review of this play, since I was unable to see the entire performance. The evening I saw him perform, Fales was cut off before completing the play because he had gone over his allotted time. But this is indicative of the main problem with this production.

Fales is a pleasant, though somewhat conventional actor with good looks and a lovely singing voice. His story, dealing with his two years spent as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and his struggles with homosexuality while on that trip, is not one that is by any means common fare on stage. He is personable and friendly. He is not, however, a director, and Missionary Position needs someone with an iron grip to make it work.

With a director in place to work with the pacing and to cut some of the stage business and more overwrought scenes (particularly a big pirate fantasy sequence), Fales would be allowed more time to concentrate on his performance. Several times in the play, Fales bobbles his lines and seems to lose his way. More importantly for a solo show, he lacks the sense of spontaneity that forges the bond between an actor and his audience. We all want to succumb to the illusion that we are the first people to hear this particular story, that Fales is letting us all in on a little secret. Here he doesn't act so much as perform, and this performance creates a distance that keeps us from truly empathizing with his struggles.

There is a lot in Fales' play that is unique and interesting, but this production is not the best opportunity to experience Missionary Position.

Missionary Position
Written, Performed and Produced by Steven Fales
Stage Managers: Sean Lambert, Alex Mark

VENUE #16: The SoHo Playhouse

Sat 14 @ 7:45
Fri 20 @ 2
Sun 22 @ NOON
Tue 24 @ 10
Fri 27 @ 6