Rogue Machine presents The West Coast Premiere of Baby Foot. Written and directed by Tim Venable. Produced by John Perrin Flynn, Guillermo Cienfuegos, Brett Aune, Clay Hollander. Associate Producers: Justin Okin, Rebecca Larsen. A Rogue Machine Production.
Alexis (Hope Lauren) says “I’m afraid to leave”. Blackie (Daniele Dorr) answers “I’m afraid to stay”. In Tim Venable‘s Baby Foot, the rehab center becomes heavens, hell, and the purgatory at the same time. As in many cases, the drugs in the story are used to induce a delirium between reality and fiction, a tool to bury the pain, specially the emotional one.
Reading between lines, it seems that Alexis had emotional scars derived from sexual abuse. She is a musician, planning to move to New York to start a new life. She projects an image of self-confidence that sounds cliché at the beginning. But as the story unfolds, she displays a sense of insecurity and an urgent need of human connection that is disarming enough to capture Blackie’s attention. Although she has the will to turn her life around and leave her drug days behind, she is still a human being with the potential to fail in the blink of an eye.
As for Blackie, he is in rehab due to a court order. He is married and has a son. He is a manager and also an actor. He seems cocky at first, but as usual, it’s just a facade to conceal his weakness. He is terrified about failing to complete the rehab program. His distress is so obvious that Alexis feels compelled to offer her support. At that point, they start connecting on a deeper level. However, under those unstable circumstances, that relationship can easily turn into a support system or a self-destruction journey, leading to a life or death situation.
Keeping everything together at the rehab center is Fred (Paul DeBoy), a drug addict that came into the center years go and stayed as a handyman. He has seen it all and helps people to complete the program. He is also very discreet when he sees the shenanigans going around among the addicts.
Tim Venable delves into the possible outcomes of drug addiction. He provides hope, but is also fully aware of the recovery mantra “one day at a time”. Alexis’ hesitation to leave and Blackie’s hesitation to stay reflect the uncertainty of what the future holds. It also provides an incentive for the characters to create a dynamic relationship where the weakness of one motivates the strength of the other, in a vicious circle of attractive fragility. The beginning of the rehab program can be as terrifying as the end of it, as there’s no guarantee of success. Nevertheless, Venable shows that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s just a matter of personal willingness to get there.
Baby Foot
Rogue Machine (Upstairs at the Henry Murray Stage in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Opening: 5pm on Saturday, October 14, 2023
Schedule: 7pm Fridays, 5pm Saturdays and Sundays, 8pm Mondays
(No performances on Monday October 30th)
Closing: November 20, 2023
Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org
Written and directed by Tim Venable. Cast: Hope Lauren, Daniele Dorr, and Paul DeBoy. Produced by John Perrin Flynn, Guillermo Cienfuegos, Brett Aune, Clay Hollander. Associate Producers: Justin Okin, Rebecca Larsen. A Rogue Machine Production. Creative team: Dane Bowman, Joe McClean (Production Design/TD), Leanna Keyes (Sound
Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Consultant), Victoria Hoffman (Casting).
Recommended for ages 18+
