Cane's Bayou

Matthew Holtzclaw, a young writer from Florida, has written a gripping Southern play, mostly about people who are psychologically heavily damaged or deteriorated in some way -- survivors of the garbage heap of working class life, including "special" ones: retarded, palsied, autistic, alcoholic. It's a very special piece of theater, and Holtzclaw has a keen ear for the idiosyncrasies of Southern working-class speech. A repressed young man who cares for his handicapped twin brother meets a lost young woman who is sinking into alcohol.

The play, Cane's Bayou, is about the effect they have on each other and on lives of those around them. Rachel Plotkin, a tall, beautiful actress, with a sense of humor, fine timing, and the ability to play nuance, is riveting. She has the potential of a Julia Roberts -- she shines as the girl. Michael McElroy and Betsy Winchester are particularly good as two retarded people, and the rest of the cast are all quite enjoyable. Holtzclaw, in the role of the young man, is a fine and subtle actor as well as a strong dramatic playwright -- one to watch for.