New theater company Vertigo Theater makes an impressive debut with the one-act three-hander
Tape,
playing a The Hive Collaborative for a short two-week run. Most of the artists involved are recent graduates of the Guthrie / U of MN BFA program, several of whom were part of the 2025 graduating class's fantastic production of Jez Butterworth's epic play
The Ferryman. I'd never seen or heard of
Tape (
although it was adapted into a film in 2001 starring then-married Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, along with Robert Sean Leanard), and it's super intense. It's basically one long scene, mostly between two characters, with the late introduction of a third. It's the kind of play that feels like an acting exercise, with really complex and very real characters, and these three actors excel at the exercise. It's a taut and gripping 60 minutes that'll leave you with more questions than answers.
Tape has four more performances at the Hive; it's a great chance to see some talented young artists who you will very likely be seeing more of in the future, and take in this intense and engrossing play.
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Jon (Isaac Leer) and Vince (Carter Graham)
(photo by Phoenicia Gamble) |
Tape was written in 1999 by playwright Stephen Belber (one of the co-creators of
The Laramie Project, among many other works). It's obvious we're in the previous century because of the multiple old tech references, including the title, which refers to a cassette tape on which one of the characters records the others. But the issues explored are evergreen, even if today they'd use a smart phone instead of a cheap tape recorder form Kmart. The scene plays out in real time in a room at the Motel 6 in Lansing, Michigan, where three high school friends reunite ten years after graduation. Jon (Isaac Leer) is a filmmaker whose film is showing at the film festival there, and his buddy Vince (Carter Graham) has flown out to see it. But Vince has another agenda, as evidenced by the way he purposely trashes his motel room before Jon arrives, maybe to distract from his cold calculating plans. It turns out that Amy (Catherine Podlesak), whom both men dated in high school, lives in Lansing now, and Vince is still upset by something that happened between them. He tries to get Jon to admit what happened, presumably to get justice or closure or something for Amy, but when she shows up, it's clear that she doesn't need or want Vince's help. Watching the twists and turns in the story, the characters' changing stories and motivations, is fascinating.
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Amy (Catherine Podlesak) and Jon (Isaac Leer)
(photo by Phoenicia Gamble) |
The play is directed by Jeremy Bode (one of the murderous students in
Gremlin's 2024 production of Rope) and assistant directed by Phoenicia Gamble, and in their hands the script is well executed at a good pace with building tension, while allowing for a few much needed releases of laughter. The three actors give consistently great performances, so raw and natural it feels like you're eavesdropping on a real conversation. None of these characters are always likable, but they are always human. It's a very physical performance too, particularly the two men as Vince and Jon fight and wrestle in an uncomfortably realistic way (fight direction by Adam Iverson).
The simple set looks every bit the run-down motel room, with a bland wall, neutral curtains framing the window, and a "no smoking" sign on the door. The bed, table, mini-fridge, and working bedside alarm clock place us squarely in a motel room. Clothes and empty beer cans litter the space, contributing to the realism.
Despite the fact that these young adults probably were not born when this play premiered, and probably have never seen a cassette tape in their lives, they show a clear understanding of the script and the issues it explores. Young actors no longer have to wait for someone to hire them, they can make their own opportunities, make their own art, especially with venues like The Hive Collaborative to provide support. This production is another example of the great young talent in this town, and bodes well for the future of #TCTheater.
