Stages Psycho has a heart full of camp

Stages production of Psycho Beach Party receives a much needed injection of heart in the campy world of Charles Busch's play. The highlight of the show is Jennifer Whitney's performance as Berdine. Under the direction of Nicole Dominguez, the would be quirky side-kick becomes, for this reviewer, the protagonist of the piece. Whether or not this is Busch's intention, with the play centered on Berdine and her undying devotion to Chicklet, her bff with multiple personalities or disociative identity disorder, the audience roots for a satisfying resolution to their relationship, which unfortunately never comes. This is not a fault of the production staff or the actors but of the script itself. Chicklet does not have a lesbian awakening and end up with her best friend as her lover like Yo-Yo and Provoloney, allowing the theme of self-acceptance to resonate, but instead is forced into a strange heterosexual relationship with a man who frankly, is not very well developed or evolved. Whether this is meant to be an attack on the happy endings of Beach Blanket Bingo type films, may be Busch's intention but in this production that idea falls flat and leaves for an unsatisfying ending. The weakest element of the production is the script. The humor relies on either dated references to classic Frankie and Annette and Hitchcock films or anachronistic language. The actors do the best they can with the material they have been given, and Dominguez crafts an interesting story given the limitations of the script. Another shining performance in the play is Nona Watson as the Joan Crawfordesq Mrs. Forrest. If you are looking for an afternoon or evening of campy fun then this is the show for you. There is nothing truly heavy or serious about Psycho. Frankly, any sense of realism would seem out of place in this wacky play. The play is escapist and satirical, it flirts with the desire to have a deeper meaning but the didactic declarations of "this is so deep" or "gay pride" remove any subtlety. The play is unabashedly what it is. The seasoned female actors outshine their male counter parts, but each character does have their moment in the sun. One of the greener actors in the piece, Jeff Hyde as StarCat, begins to shine toward the end of the play. I challenge you not to love his explanation of what a boy and a girl do when they are alone together. All in all the show is worth a trip to Fullerton if for no other reason than to hear "Gidget" say, "I want a Goddamn, motherfucking, cocksucking...", I guess you will just have to see the play.