Ashley Naftule’s Roger & Gene begins with the two legendary movie reviewers squabbling over whose turn it is to sit in “the good chair.” They move on quickly to twitting each other about their appearance – Roger’s girth, Gene’s baldness. Gene reminds Roger that he went to Yale, and Roger reminds Gene of his Pulitzer, and that he wrote the screenplay for Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. While the invective ramps up in ugliness, it maintains a certain relaxed familiarity; it’s clear these guys go through this dance every week.
The first major oddity comes when we hear what movies they’re reviewing: contemporary stuff like Barbie and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Gene Siskel died in 1999 and Roger Ebert in 2013, so clearly something is amiss. They’re also afflicted with cryptic notes from their producers, and occasional contemptuous visits from “Pauline,” who went to UC Berkeley. Presumably this is Pauline Kael of The New Yorker, who died in 2001.
Directed by BJ Garrett, Naftule’s strange three-hander, running through June 16 at Space 55, initially runs on the comedic fuel of an enforced partnership between two people who dislike and resent each other. But it gradually shifts into a sort of Pirandello meets Rod Serling territory which, though Naftule never quite loses his sense of humor, nonetheless carries a certain eerie existential poignancy.
The play probably does flirt with being a hair too long, but only a hair. The actors, Matt Clarke as Roger, Steve Wilcox as Gene and Shelly Trujillo as Pauline, have sharp comic timing, but these aren’t just sketch-comedy turns; the characterizations are textured and sympathetic. And Naftule’s dialogue gives them a surprising amount of thoughtful, witty perspective on everything from current pop culture to the justification for non-essential careers like movie criticism.
Also, my music nerd pal pointed out that the show’s sound design features selections from Black Flag, the Buzzcocks, Iggy and the Stooges, The Velvet Underground and The Beach Boys, among others. Not a bad playlist at that.
Roger & Gene plays through Sunday, June 16 at Metropolitan Arts Institute, 1700 N. Seventh Ave., with a “pay what you want” performance on Thursday, June 20. Call 707-722-2354 for details.
