Karla Francesca, as con artist Alexa Vere de Vere, and Rob Conway, as first-time novelist Evan Wyler, are perfect together in playwright/screenwriter Douglas Carter Beane's As Bees In Honey Drown. The play satirizes the wannabees and the people who prey upon them. Beane gives Alexa a stylized speech pattern that has an artificial feeling - perfect for a con artist.
Francesca, in her best performance to date, is almost always elegantly dressed in black, wearing a black wig that is absolutely perfect for her. She is an agent, a producer, and promoter; in fact, she is whatever will feed our egos and deplete our assets. She is all convincing charm wrapped in a New York hype and brashness. We see many facets of Alexa, from her pseudo-elegance to deeply troubled emotions. Francesca glows in Alexa's many moods. In one very short bit, she transforms herself from a know-nothing gal from Reading, PA to the Queen of Con.
Her current foil is Conway's Evan Wyler. Conway has his character nailed. Evan took years to write his first novel; now his publisher is promoting it. Alexa's stinger hits her mark. He is meek, though a homosexual, he's awed by the lovely lady's attention and sweetness. New York is a mystery, which he both loves and fears. Alexa seduces Evan and drowns him and his credit card in her honeycomb.
As Bees In Honey Drown is not a two-character play. The supporting cast, some playing multiple roles, bring depth to this tale. The first time Evan meets Alexa in a café, they are served by a waitress (Lisa Palmer, in just one of her roles). In a wordless bit, she nails Alexa with a couple of looks in reaction to Alexa's brashness. We meet Mike Stabinsky (Brian P. Evans), Alexa's friend from Reading. Evans brings a naturalistic compassion to his role and his relationship with others.
Anthony D. Bell, as legit agent Morris Kadan, becomes a confidant of Evan's. Bell also adds a nice twist to the story. Robin Dye, playing his secretary, is the perfect over-protective employee.
Spike-haired Tyler Herdklotz is somebody you don't want to meet in a dark alley. Well, not as Skunk, a punk rocker who doesn't like to be taken for a few grand. Evan gets a bit bloodied up by him. Ryan Murphy is amusing as Enrique and quite interesting in his other role of Ronald. Rena Lyon, Janet Kelly and Lisa Palmer play a variety of roles. We see them mostly as previous victims of Alexa.
Director Raylene J. Wall, according to one of the cast, gave the actors a great amount of freedom in developing their roles. It was apparent with the three women who obviously had fun with their roles by bringing charming nuances and panache to their various characters.
Wall, as set designer, has created an environment that includes a stylized Manhattan skyline, with backings that work for the many scenes - from the Staten Island Ferry to restaurants, various apartments, artist digs, and much more. Set pieces quickly establish specific locations. Chad Oakley's lighting design highlights specific areas and provided an effective look for Alexa's occasional off-scene rants. Lou Alliano's sound design provides just the right amount of backgrounding to accent a scene or moment without dominating it. Debbie Blue and Barbara Barber offer an extremely varied assortment of costumes from the elegant for Francesca to the punk for Herdklotz.
Scripps Ranch Theatre's production of As Bees In Honey Drown is their best show of the season and one of the best shows I've seen this year. Conway's moment of truth deep into the second act and the final tableau are worth much more than the price of admission. Yet, you can't help loving that con artist, Alexa. We may well deserve her.
