EMA Review: The Guardian ***** Delicious

By Paul Atreides

Author, Playwright, and Theatre Critic at EatMoreArtVegas.compaul-atreides.com

Sometimes evil comes to your door with smiles and kindness. That's the takeaway from The Guardian by Ernest Hemmings, a three-act, two-hour cautionary play now in performances at Vegas Theatre.

It's a joint production of TSTMRKT and Vegas Theatre Company, under the direction of the playwright. Hemmings often directs (and stars in) his own works. There are two schools of thought on that: one is that it should never be done because authors are too close (or attached) to the material; the other is that the playwright knows their work best and what they want from the actors. Hemmings has never failed, as far as I can recall.

When you've put together a cast as talented as this one, you really can't miss.

Valerie Carpenter plays Bonnie Fettle, the second wife of Frank Fettle, played by Gary Lunn, a couple in their 70s who are targeted by a legal con game. Guardianship programs have affected almost every state in our union. County- or state-licensed programs have been known to take complete control over every facet of people's lives, financially, and, in some cases, with brutal results. Such is the case here.

Both Carpenter and Lunn turn in stunning performances, as they have for many years. They bring the retirees still learning to adapt to being together 24/7 with humorous honesty, the love still shining through. They're cautious, but the fast-talking, smiling, and kind license Guardian (Kymberly Mellen) offering help reels them in a little. On a stormy day, laborer Kevin (Joshua Berg) and the hook are set.

Whether it's an actor or a director's choice, Berg plays the counterpoint a bit over the top in Act 1, which somewhat lessens the impact of what is to come – brutality in the extreme. Their ruse and base sociopathy are easily spotted in Act 1, which makes the events to come in Acts 2 and 3 expected. Berg plays Kevin as a true villain to the core, and Mellen's Gladys condones it.

The only winners in these cons are the people running them. It might be worth noting that, while guardianships are legal in Nevada, they are strictly regulated because of scenarios like the one so realistically written by Hemmings and portrayed by this excellent cast. The Guardian hits right where it should. And hits hard. It's an extreme, sell-done production from start to finish.

I highly recommend this one. Go see it.

When:  8 p.m. Friday – Saturday – Monday; 2 p.m. Sundays through February 5

Where: 1025 S. 1^st St.

Tickets: $32.24 – includes fees (www.tstmrkt.com)

Grade:  ***** Delicious

Producer: TSTMRKT, Vegas Theatre Company; Director: Ernest Hemmings; Dramaturg: Darren "Daz" Weller; Scenic Design: Gary Parlanti; Lighting Design: Jake Harrell; Sound Design: Margot Beattie