What I liked
The cast of Family Fries is unreal! While it is a tour de force performance for Pam Eberhardt (Jake), her supporting cast is equally enthralling. Starting with the always impressive Lucas Alifano (Scotty), he portrays a multi-layered character reduced to taking care of his ailing, wheelchair-bound Dad (Tyler Hayes Stilwill). Having lost their Mother due to a fire, Scotty wants to give away her records.
Married couple Diane (Amanda Blake Davis) and Mike (Scott Leggett) show up at the house to view the records hoping for a gold mine. What they discover… I won’t share spoilers, but make no mistake, both Davis and Leggett are brilliant in their roles and provide some of the funniest moments.
Kudos must go to Director, Will Thomas McFadden and Dramaturg, Padraic Duffy. This play and cast are well defined, assembled, and aligned in all the ways that make for commanding theatre. The see-saw of emotional moments are punctuated with just the right amounts of movement, dialogue, and silence.
Honestly, I could see this show going on for a half-hour longer if desired.
What I didn't like
To the best of my knowledge, the show does not mention attempted suicide as a trigger warning. It needs one.
Secondly, for those familiar with Wendy MacLeod’s play-turned-movie, The House of Yes, you will notice some similarities to this show. Picking up on the similarities had me wondering what else could be responsible for Jake’s sociopathy. Just riffing out loud…
My overall impression
What do you get when you combine a sociopath, her PTSD suffering Dad, her younger suicidal brother, and some random Craigslist record buyers together? You get one of the funniest, most disturbing dramas the Hollywood Fringe is boasting this year!
In Pam Eberhardt’s play, Family Fries, she not only breaks the dial off of family dysfunction, she obliterates it. Full of manipulation, discord, and massive doses of insanity, what hope is there for this family? What are the options? Can a new and better dial replace the broken one?
Sacred Fools, long known for their theatrical excellence, does not disappoint with this play. And for those who enjoy drama, the stakes could not be any higher. Even if the crazy is too much, at least the fries look tasty.
