'Dickie' ends with a sizzle

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Sep 21, 2008 by Phil Grecian

By Phil Grecian

SPECIAL TO THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

"One Night Dickie Didn't Come Home," written by Topeka native/ New York playwright Darren Canady and directed by Topeka native/New York actor-director Teddy Eck, premiered Friday night at the Helen Hocker Theatre in Gage Park.

It is fitting that this play has its first full production in this town and this theatre. Both Canady and Eck grew up at the Hocker as members of the Bath House Players' teenage group. Further, Canady was an intern at The Topeka Capital-Journal in 2006 when David Owen, a Topeka homeless advocate, was murdered by the very people he had dedicated his life to helping.

The play is based on the facts of the Owen case, but Canady takes a playwright's liberties to create a cleaner and more satisfying fiction, as young newspaper reporter Patrick White (Christopher Haynes, who plays with energy and skill) investigates a murder in fictional Eatonville, Kan.

Dan Heinz turns in a flawless and stunning performance as the mentally challenged Dickie Lyndon. Tshlaine Webster as Terri, the mother of one of the murderers, is also strong here, and an audience favorite on opening night. Dane Shobe is both true and intense as Jesse, Terri's son. Butch Wilkerson offers up his usual fine work as the reporter's father, and Dorianne Rees impresses in the role of Patrick's no-nonsense editor.

In fact, the whole cast is strong in performance if not diction, projection and articulation. Your friendly neighborhood critic has excellent hearing, but only Heinz, Rees, Wilkerson and Webster could be heard and understood at all times Friday night. The Hocker black box theatre may be an intimate square 40 feet to a side, but audience bodies soak up sound, and a conversational tone will always be a problem. Enunciate, articulate, project.

The play is overly talky in the first act. Long monologues should be trimmed and broken up with other dialogue. The second act, however, sizzles with energy and barely controlled violence. I found myself leaning forward, engaged in the story as it unfolded.

There are some nice counterpoint scenes, with characters stepping in and out of their own narratives and dialogue from one time frame relating to dialogue from another, simultaneously presented, time frame. Some lines are spoken in unison, bridging past and present. This is a lovely and dramatic idea, but their length throws them out of kilter with each other. Single words and short phrases might be better.

The fact is that playwrights absolutely must see their work onstage in order to make judgments and changes. This play has a killer second act. Canady is an extremely talented playwright. He will have a chance here to see this play on its feet. The next time you hear of "Dickie" it will have a killer first act, too.

Phil Grecian is a published playwright from Topeka whose workis performed internationally.He may be reachedat PGrecian@aol.com.