Customer Reviews

Sir Richard Wadd, Pornographer

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Meet Sir Richard Wadd, pornographer, an astute businessman with principles and a heart of gold. You of course can order his art by credit card. That's how Kevin, a fourteen-year-old runaway discovered him via the credit card he stole from his brother. But Sir Richard (is his last name a tribute to the great, late John Holmes aka Johnny Wadd?) is no ordinary pornographer. He gives a disclaimer to his porn in couplets and for the most part always speaks in poetry. And therein lies Kevin's fascination with him. [Kevin]: "The actors! They really love him They respect him. . . he writes for them. And it's funny. . . it's beautiful. . . it's poetry."

This one act play by Shawn Postoff (QUEER AS FOLK) takes the reader/viewer through the filming by Sir Richard of a porn movie, Kevin's running into John, a hustler, and ultimately meeting his idol Sir Richard. There is a lot to make your smile here and sometimes laugh out loud. The porn actors aren't just anyone; they have classy, classic names like Tristan and Troy. Off camera they sprinkle their conversation with clever take-offs on Latin, "cum ergo sums" and "carpe dictums." Before the camera of course they become Jim Bob and Hawk, two rural Gentlemen from Verona. Tristan, a college junior, gives a catalogue of his films (a reference to the epic tradition?) that sounds all too familiar. He has in seventeen weeks done solo videos, played a dumb jock, a preppy student, a punker type, a military recruit, a bond trader, etc. He of course must keep changing characters in order to satisfy his one-handed audience. As Sir Richard opines, "Porn becomes stale very, very fast--faster than a bunch of bananas, in fact."

In the program notes (the first peformance was given on July 7, 2005 at the Royal St. Georgie Theatre, Toronto, Canada) viewer discretion is advised because of "mature content," "coarse language," "simulated sex," "blasphemous situations" and "cigarette smoke." It is also recommended that the viewer make a trip to the john first since there is no intermission.

The problem with reading this play is the same as that of reading any other. The reader has to visualize the situations and characters in much the same way as if he were reading a novel or short story. But plays-- unless they are closet drama, and this one certainly is not-- are to be seen on the stage, rather than read. There are of course a lot of things that the author cannot control, who directs, who acts, their abilities, etc. The highest compliment I can give to SIR RICHARD, however, is that I would pay for a ticket to see it staged.