Lesbian romp stays true to its paperback past
As ex-WAC Terry Logan repeatedly puts it, “I’m a lesbian, plain and simple. I don’t make any bones about it.” Neither does “Pulp” in its West Coast premiere at the Celebration Theatre. Patricia Kane’s sly take on the Ann Bannon canon toes a sloe-eyed line between spoof and homage with delicious aplomb.
A Chicago hit at About Face Theatre this spring, “Pulp” deflates stereotypes by exploiting their contours. Kane’s winking script sifts through the lurid expression of sexual repression from the paperback racks of Eisenhower-era America, folding in camp fodder from countless Sappho-minded films.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Nov. 5, 2004 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday November 05, 2004 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 0 inches; 26 words Type of Material: Correction
“Pulp” -- The Calendar section has been listing an incorrect phone number for “Pulp,” a musical at the Celebration Theatre. The correct number is (323) 957-1884.
Plain-spoken Terry (Peggy Dunne), the genre’s ubiquitous narrator with a secret, has left the Army because of indiscretions with a general’s daughter. Migrating to Chicago, Terry lands in the Well, a shady cabaret superbly realized by set designer Keith Ellis Mitchell.
Beneath the wisecracks, bartender Pepper (Kristin Ulrich) yearns for skeet-shooting drag king Winny (Stacy Cunningham, who doubles as Terry’s sergeant). Voluptuous vixen Bing (Jen Hogan) sets upon Terry with boundless oomph. Entanglements thicken via the Well’s enigmatic proprietor, Miss Vivian (Lisa Robert), whose sultry warbling offers double-entendre comment (lyrics by Kane, music by Andre Pluess and Amy Warren).
Unlike the mandated tragic endings of its Gold Medal forebears, “Pulp” cements the subversion with an upbeat credo of self-acceptance that resonates beyond the property’s obvious appeal for Showtime subscribers.
Director Pamela Forrest keeps the quips coming and the pauses purple. Mitchell’s work combines with Daavid Hawkins’ costumes and Kathi O’Donohue’s lighting to create a Fawcett Publications cover come to life.
Though musical director Dan Belzer and choreographer Susannah Hall deserve more instrumentation and dance options, respectively, their contributions are stalwart.
The convulsive cast of Barbara Stanwyck fans seals the seduction. Dunne’s deadpan fortitude and Robert’s arch elegance are perfectly matched, and their satirical timing is spot-on. Ulrich and Cunningham hit loopy and heartfelt points with ease, and Hogan’s hormonal hussy swipes the show.
By holding true to its singular aims, “Pulp” takes a walk on the wild side of lipstick-smeared laughter, and its pert players score a comic bull’s-eye.
*
‘Pulp’
Where: Celebration Theatre, 7051-B Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
When: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays
Ends: Nov. 7
Price: $20
Contact: (323) 957-1884
Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
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