Sex, bondage, vinyl and lust make for a sexy play

The poster for the play Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love is somewhat misleading. It shows a man sandwiched between a woman and another man, all of whom are naked. Kind of exciting, right? Right. But donāt go to the play expecting to see Orgy Fest 1997.  On the other hand, donāt go expecting Bambi.

Itās not G-rated, nor is it XXX. Itās near or around NC-17. Plainly put: this playās not for people with immature thought processes.

Not that they couldnāt learn a lot from this play because they could. For instance, this play shows that the epitome of downright sexiness is skin-tight black vinyl mixed with sultry fishnet stockings, dirty talk, a hint of violence and bondage paraphernalia.

This Brad Fraser play is centered around a sexually promiscuous group of friends, some in search of love, and others in search of a blind screw and shaded with a weak subplot dealing with a serial killer on the rampage.

David and Candy are roommates and former lovers. Candy is a teetering bisexual looking for love in all the wrong places, and David is gay and avoiding love at all costs. Davidās friend, Bernie, is married and still gets around.

The stunning Candy, played by Kristi Meek, has her choice of Robert, a smooth talking bartender, or Jerri, a lesbian who admires her at the gym. David, played by Michael Barr, is testing the waters of a younger, less-experienced beau, Kane.

While this is all going on, lines such as, ćDid you hear another girl was killed last night?ä start dropping into the action, seeming much out of place. At first, they evoke curiosity, but it finally becomes apparent that the author is trying to go somewhere with this, once the third or fourth girl is killed and noticed by the characters.

ćEveryone in the play is a suspect,ä according to the release for the play. But this doesnāt seem true. Only one or two candidates are considered, and itās easy to see in advance how the play is finally going to end.

The script is mediocre, but the performances are very strong. Josh Hartwell as Kane is the perfect, giddy Bob Denver-like Gilligan. He looked like he would slip and start calling for the Skipper or Mary Ann. Benita, played by Linda Jans, is everyoneās dream fetish/bondage girl, and does it well.

She tells campfire asides of the brutal murders that occur, leaving the audience either bubbling up with goosebumps or laughing heartily. Barr as David is believably frustrated, and Meek as Candy holds the audience under a spell of curiosity and lust.

The lighting and staging of the play add to its sinister feel. Five holding areas in the back are shadowed with a screen and lit with red lights from above, givingany character standing there a devilish tone. The work of lighting director Kevin Stephens adds a certain realness and an uncertain eeriness to the performance.

Director Jeremy Cole does a lot with nothing, creating many different settings with a small rotating piece in the middle of the stage.

Unidentified Human Remains will play at Jackās Theatre, 1553 Platte St., through Sept. 6 on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. For information call 430-2907.

÷ by Ricardo Baca