The actor Aaron Lyons brings to life Shel Silverstein's The Devil and Billy Markham in rousing and memorable fashion. The monologue, adapted by Silverstein from a Playboy article of his, concerns a blues musician -- no doubt patterned after Robert Johnson -- who must grapple with the devil to keep playing the music he loves.
In Johnson's case, the Delta-born bluesman was thought to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his artistry. Silverstein's Billy doesn't have to go that far; his tussle with the horned one is fought incrementally with a deck of cards serving as the weapon of choice and the final outcome always in doubt.
Lyons plays both Billy and the devil, giving each a distinctive voice. Both are equal combatants, with Billy fortunately possessing enough courage and defiance to stand up to the devil's dark and devious trickery. It also helps that Markham is every bit as cunning, foulmouthed and funny as his opponent is. It makes for a bold, bawdy, laugh-filled psychic slugfest.
Aiding Lyons is Ruth Fox, who plays his wife (and other women) in silent but eloquently mimetic fashion, and a three-piece band beating out country-ish, toe-tapping music. The result is a nifty bit of pop-poetic theater.
The Devil and Billy Markham premiered as part of the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival and has extended its run as a once-a-week attraction (every Sunday) at the Three Clubs venue.
