I Met My Imaginary Friend!
Rating: 4
I Am My Imaginary Friend
KC Fringe Festival
The rich environment of The Fringe had me stumble into a chance meeting with "I Am My Imaginary Friend." Well, I had it on my list, but hadn't figured out when. Then a misprint in the schedule made me miss a curtain: rather than waste an hour, I dashed over the XS Lighting on Broadway and sat myself down, with little expectation and too-few neighbors in the audience.
Too bad for those who weren't there, because we met an intelligent new friend in David Csontos of Lincoln, Nebraska, who dragged along his reluctant parents, his idiosyncratic gay identity and half of Hollywood. But this show was no drag: I was delighted to find it clever and entertaining, revealing and ultimately surprising.
Accompanied by a fellow actor from Lincoln and two from Kansas City — and Joan Crawford on film — this film scholar-turned-actor led us through an inventive series of scenes that gradually showed us what was said, what was not, what was seen, and what was admitted in the crucible of family. Though David escaped, there was more in his family closet than the usual skeletons. Our path of discovery came through shadowy noirish scenes on screen and stage, and a funny TV quiz show, all the way to the gun going off (though not really) by the end.
I'm even more interested now in seeing this company's other Fringe show, "My Night with Rock Hudson." Thanks, festival organizers, for helping me stumble into a not-so-imaginary new friend. Repeating Friday at 8, Saturday at 6:30 and Sunday at 3:30.
read the review at KC Stage
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