A life's menagerie on display at Slipstream

Bailey Boudreau and Steve Xander Carson

A few weeks ago, as I was interviewing University of Michigan undergrad and up-and-coming playwright Maxim Vinogradov about his new work, A Night of Stars with Tennessee Williams that's now onstage at Ferndale's Slipstream Theatre Initiative, I couldn't help but think, "I've gotta check this show out." And that's what I did this past Saturday night - and I left afterwards impressed by both his script and the work of the actors who brought this difficult, yet intriguing story to life.

Set some undisclosed years after his death, Williams now holds court in Purgatory where he gives daily lectures to his fellow "residents" who want to hear stories about the playwright and his many famous friends. These chats, it seems, cover the same territory as the typical gossip magazine found on newsstands both then and now - which means nothing too personal and nothing too serious is discussed.

Tonight, however, is different, thanks to malfunctioning gadgetry Williams and his assistant, Edwina, use during his presentation. (To show you how well thought out this production is, the tech is consistent with what Williams would be familiar with during his lifetime.) So rather than the typical laugh-filled romp through his well-publicized life and times, Williams is instead forced to face some rather unpleasant thoughts and memories he'd rather keep hidden.

Purgatory, it seems, is not what Williams was expecting.

The play itself, however, surpassed my expectations.

Vinogradov - whose script has already been blessed with two impressive writing awards through U-of-M's prestigious Hopwood competitions - tackles his subject with a sharp scalpel, expertly scraping away layer upon layer of the persona Williams created for himself and the public. But the truth hurts, as the saying goes, and Vinogradov's extensive research and careful plotting help us to better understand the man behind the myth and how his inner demons played out in the stories he told upon the stage and silver screen - many of which we still cherish more than three decades after his death.

The result is a powerful tale well told - and a very human one.

But it's also a bitch to stage well and convincingly, as most of his characters are the famous and infamous whose voices, images and mannerisms are burnt into our collective memories.

And so choices have to be made: How far does the director go - in this case, Vinogradov co-directed the show with Victoria Rose Weatherspoon - in recreating these colorful characters?

Wisely, the co-directors kept the characters grounded in reality, never allowing them to rise to the point of caricature. Instead, each actor found the flavor of their characters through hours of research that they then used to build their interpretations.

That's especially visible when you watch Ryan Ernst as Truman Capote. Although he'd never appear in my Top Five Hundred People To Play Capote list - the two men are polar opposites in pretty much every way conceivable - the role affords Ernst a meaty opportunity to grow, expand and mature as as actor, and he certainly rises to the opportunity by capturing the idiosyncratic author's vocal characteristics and mannerisms quite well. But equally important is the dignity and respect he shows his character by portraying him as realistically as possible when it would be far easier to resort to stereotypes.

Another fascinating performance is given by Slipstream heart throb Steve Xander Carson. Playing the role of Williams' handsome, longtime lover Frank Merlo, Carson slips onto the stage as if he stepped out of a 1950's Life magazine and strikes a pose that would be familiar to anyone familiar with publications that catered to gay men of that era.

I could go on and on about the show's many fine performances, including Jan Cartwright as Edwina and Tiaja Sabrie as Williams' sister Rose (who will break your heart). And continuing its endeavor to give high school students a chance to earn some real-life stage experience while on their summer vacation, recent Wilde Award winner Jackson Abohasira captures a young Brando quite nicely, while Grace Jolliffe's Garbo and Hepburn made me smile, for example.

But the toughest nut to crack is that of Williams himself. He was a complicated man in real life with demons who haunted him till his death, and it's a many-layered role that runs the gamut of emotions. it's a role that took Slipstream artistic director Bailey Boudreau out of his comfort zone - so much so, he kept trying to get out of it. But Vinogradov would not hear of it, and he pressed the actor to keep at it.

To say that Boudreau succeeded would be an understatement. He too showed significant growth as an actor in this production, and his (and the show's) final 10-15 minutes will leave your heart in your throat and you'll be speechless as the lights go down for the last time.

That's how powerfully good this production is. And I predict great things will be forthcoming from the talented Mr. Vinogradov!

A Night of Stars with Tennessee Williams runs through Sept. 17. For show details, CLICK HERE!

To read my preview of the show, CLICK HERE!

Maxim Vinogradov and Bailey Boudreau