THE SITUATIONISTS by Sky Gilbert (Cabaret Company). At Buddies in Bad Times (12 Alexander). To April 24. Pwyc-$27. 416-975-8555. See listing Rating: NNNN
Like an Emma Goldman for the 21st century, Sky Gilbert is worried that fucking isn’t part of the revolution. In his cerebral yet gripping The Situationists, he cleverly criticizes left-wing intellectuals for not extending their supposedly progressive politics into the realm of sexuality.
The drama focuses on a pair of present-day self-described Situationists (adherents of a mid-20th-century movement that used subversive performance art to critique capitalism) who are struggling to plan a public spectacle. Jacques (Gavin Crawford), an uptight middle-aged French professor, and Lise (Haley McGee), his adoring assistant and former student, have their identity as radicals uncomfortably challenged by Yvon (Gil Garratt), a mischievous failed law student.
Jacques’s robotic commitment to “business-like” self-regulation instantly clashes with Yvon’s sleeve-worn sexuality and produces an odd-couple dynamic that’s funny but also thought-provoking. The show’s biggest weakness is a meandering opening scene between Jacques and Lise, where basic details are slow to emerge. However, once Yvon is added into the mix, things get intense and wildly unpredictable.
Crawford’s humorously exaggerated French accent waffles occasionally, but the cast is otherwise strong. The realistic set includes an interesting twist: the audience sits on either side of the stage, allowing one half of the audience to see the other through the action. Gilbert does a solid job of directing with both sides in mind.
