Over
the
years,
local
playwright
Steve
Yockey
has
proven
to
be
anything
but
a
cookie-cutter
writer.
His
latest
drama,
“Octopus,”
which
sees
its
world
premiere
at
Actor’s
Express
next
week,
promises
to
continue
that
tradition.
Described
as
“a
love
story
rendered
through
a
postmodern
gay
lens,”
“Octopus”
follows
the
aftermath
of
a
sexual
encounter
between
two
gay
male
couples.
Twenty-somethings
(Joe
Sykes
and
Tony
Larkin)
invite
over
an
older
couple
(John
Benzinger
and
Mitchell
Anderson)
for
sex.
The
night
proves
fateful,
and
the
aftermath
involves
issues
from
health
and
jealousy
to
a
mysterious
telegram
delivery
boy
and
a
hungry
sea
monster.
Yockey
says
“Octopus”
is
a
natural
progression
for
him.
“Each
play
lets
me
be
a
little
more
daring
as
I
approach
the
next
one,”
he
says.
In
“Octopus,”
Yockey
works
through
his
thoughts
about
fidelity,
sex
and
how
gays
are
responding
to
HIV
25
years
into
the
pandemic
in
the
U.S.
“This
was
the
perfect
platform
because
more
than
anything,
I
love
to
explore
a
kind
of
stark
realism
colored
with
fantastic
elements,”
he
says.
“‘Octopus’
is
no
exception,
beginning
in
naturalism
and
essentially
descending
into
the
realm
of
fable
by
the
end.”
Yockey
admits
people
often
describe
his
work
as
dark.
“That’s
absolutely
true
of
a
lot
of
my
stuff,
but
I
try
to
lace
the
darkness
with
humor
and
cut
it
with
the
promise
of
some
kind
of
rescue,
even
if
that
salvation
is
somewhat
unconventional,”
he
says.
Out
director
Kate
Warner
helms
“Octopus,”
the
sixth
collaboration
between
the
writer
and
director.
Warner
calls
“Octopus”
a
“love
story,
a
modern
story
with
mythic
elements.
“It’s
sexy
and
tackles
a
big
subject
in
a
new
way
on
a
human
scale,”
she
says.
“I
love
what
the
play
says
about
compassion
and
the
work
that
it
takes
to
pay
attention
to
achieve
and
maintain
real
human
connection.”
Yockey
also
relishes
the
chance
to
work
with
Anderson,
the
local
gay
actor
known
for
the
movie
“Relax…It’s
Just
Sex”
and
the
TV
show
“Party
of
Five.”
“I
feel
very
lucky
that
Mitchell
embraced
the
script,”
Yockey
says.
“I
can’t
imagine
anyone
else
originating
[the
character
of]
Andy.
He’s
doing
some
exquisitely
specific
work
in
a
role
that
has
some
interesting
challenges.”
Also
making
its
local
debut
this
week,
the
five-Tony-winning
“The
Drowsy
Chaperone”
features
a
lonely
musical
theater
junkie,
referred
to
only
as
“Man
in
Chair.”
The
character’s
favorite
show
is
a
‘20s
musical
called
“Drowsy
Chaperone,”
and
to
ease
his
boredom,
he
envisions
that
the
musical
actually
comes
alive.
Gay
actor
Kevin
Crewell
is
part
of
the
ensemble
and
says
that
“Chaperone”
has
a
major
gay
sensibility.
“‘Man
in
Chair’
has
a
strong
affinity
for
one
of
the
guys
in
the
show,
and
he
also
especially
likes
the
fact
that
the
lead
actress
has
the
ability
to
say
and
do
what
she
feels,”
says
Crewell,
who
regards
himself
as
a
musical
theater
junkie
as
well.
“I
know
all
the
obscure
stuff
out
there,
but
this
is
the
first
time
I’ve
seen
an
original
show
in
a
while,”
he
says.
“There
is
really
nothing
like
it
around.”
The
actor
was
in
the
touring
version
of
“Spamalot”
in
Atlanta
last
year.
He
jokes
that
gay
representation
in
that
show’s
cast
and
crew
was
only
about
20
percent,
but
“Drowsy
Chaperone”
is
about
“50/50,”
he
says.
The
following comments were posted by our readers and were
not edited by SOVO. We ask that you
treat others with respect; any post deemed offensive will
be removed.
