Something Intangible by Bruce Graham

”Good artists are not a dime a dozen.” At least, not in Arden Theatre Company’s Something Intangible by Bruce Graham. A world premiere, Something Intangible goes beyond the typical brother relationship to bring the audience into the world of these very, very atypical brothers, Dale (Scott Greer) and Tony (Ian Merril Peakes). Tony is a pill popping, female loving, prejudiced artist who runs a Hollywood studio that produces cartoons and Dale is his accountant.

Although Tony sometimes seems to be running the show, it’s quickly discovered that Dale is more in control than Tony thinks. Dale keeps Tony in line, and not just in business. Even though Tony would never admit it, he needs Dale to take care of him and Dale always rises to the occasion. And although Dale doesn’t understand his brother’s imagination, at one point even claiming that his brother “gets fifty ideas a minute”, he appreciates it more than Tony ever realizes.

Cleverly constructed, the play itself takes place in the form of flashes while Dale speaks to his therapist, Sonia (Sally Mercer). It’s almost unclear what is meant to be taking place in the past, present and future of Dale’s therapy sessions, but it doesn’t affect the flow of the performance, as everything still seems very linear. If anything, it makes it the performance seem more natural, as there’s no jumping around.

Scott Greer’s performance is simply phenomenal. Within this duo of two very different characters, he’s able to bring the straight man to life with charisma and a certain charm. Not a typical charm, but he brings something to the table that you can’t always put your finger on. His character, who has always done right by everyone in his life, is brought alive in a way that makes him more than just a loving brother, husband and father. He’s no saint, but he’s not an average guy either.

Something Intangible, inspired by the loving relationship of Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo, creates a very vivid picture of two people who care for each other more than most people can imagine. Although they aren’t the perfect picture of a typical family, but these men love each other unconditionally and that’s something that’s hard to find.

Arden Theatre Co. presents Something Intangible, written by Bruce Graham and directed by Terrence J. Nolan, April 9 – June 7, 2009 at the Arcadia Stage at the Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2^nd Street. Tickets $29-$48. 215-922-1122, www.ardentheatre.org.

Coming This Month – April

I’ve got a couple of shows lined up for April that I’m really excited about. There are so many shows going on lately, that it’s almost hard to keep up. Here are a few that look great and I can’t wait to see.

Azuka Theatre’s Whisky Neat by Bruce Walsh, directed by Kevin Glaccum, April 2 – 26, 2009.

InterAct’s Jihad Jones & The Kalashnikov Babes by Yussef El Guindi, directed by Seth Rozin, April 10 – May 10, 2009.

Theatre Exile’s American Buffalo by David Mamet, directed by Matt Pfeiffer, April 9 – May 3, 2009.

Arden Theatre Company’s Something Intangible by Bruce Graham, directed by Terrence J. Nolen, April 9 – June 7, 2009.

BCKSEET Productions’ Raised in Captivity by Nicky Silver, directed by Greg DeCandia, April 15 – May 9, 2009.

It’s going to be a busy month. I’ll  be seeing, and talking about, the above shows in the order that they’re listed. I’ve been looking forward to a couple of these shows for awhile.

The following are two shows I hope to be able to see, but I’m not sure that I’ll be have time to fit them in. Either way, they look good, so I thought I’d mention them.

Luna Theater Company’s Hot ‘n’ Throbbing by Paula Vogel, directed by Gregory Scott Campbell, April 4 – May 3, 2009.

New City Stage Company’s Chicken by Mike Batistick, directed by Neill Hartley, April 9 – April 26, 2009.

Keep your eyes out for information and reviews for these shows, as I’ll have them up soon after the performances!