Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: The Rimers of Eldritch

The Rimers of Eldritch-December 2010-L. Howard Fox Theatre
This play is a mystery whodunit of who killed Skelly Mannor, the town outcast. What I liked about it is that it kept you guessing the entire time and you eventually realize how the characters are all intertwined into the same situation, even though they are first introduced as separate storylines.

*Beware of Spoilers*

• The relationship between Cora and Walter: Cora is somewhat of an outcast as well because her husband has passed and she has employed a younger man, Walter, in her diner, and the two close early to do you know what. This is a topic of gossip among the townspeople. It’s not really the relationship I want to criticize, but the randomness of it. There are times the two would just walk onstage, kiss, and then walk backstage together. I know, bowchikawowwow. I know this serves a purpose to suggest what they are doing, but it’s just odd. Even when something else is happening onstage with other characters, Walter walks in the background and starts unbuttoning his shirt in front of Cora, a rather exciting moment indeed because the whole time you are wondering if he is going to pull a Full Monty and start undressing right there in front of everyone. It’s just that his unbuttoning has absolutely nothing to do with the scene that is currently happening onstage whatsoever. It is an additional scene just thrown in there to thwart our focus. Towards the end of the play he impregnates another character, which pretty much comes out of nowhere, and this character repetitively tells him that she loves him, which is how the play ends.

• Robert attempts to rape Eva: I’m just going to get this one over with. Robert and Eva are the two youngsters of the play in their early teens that are in the middle of the trial for Skelly’s murder. It turns out that Nelly Winrod shot Skelly thinking he was the one assaulting Eva when it turns out that Skelly was the one who rescued her from Robert. The infuriating thing is it’s quite possible the characters will never find this out because Robert lies about the whole thing, Skelly isn’t alive to defend himself nor would anybody listen to him anyway when he was alive, and Eva is in a state of shock. Eva is actually the one who comes on to Robert, wanting to attempt sex with him, which is weird itself to me considering that they are supposed to be childlike teens. Eva accuses Robert of not having enough guts to have sex with her, and Robert, tired of being looked down upon like he was throughout the play, attacks Eva, leading to the other events. Like most rape scenes, it was frightening.

I actually reviewed this play for The Montclarion as well. You can read my review here.

Check out the previous post of this series: Sweeney Todd

Conclusion:

Sexual moments in college productions is not a bad thing at all. In fact, it makes the show that much more interesting and complex. It just depends on what happens, how it is done, and your demographic of audience members and how they perceive it. I am looking forward to future Peak Performances this upcoming semester and beyond and what awkward sexual moments 2011 has to offer.

And this concludes this edition of "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments"!!! Yay!

If you’re ever in the Montclair area, I encourage you to check out these performances. They are always very well done and worthwhile. ;) Here is where you can find out more: http://www.peakperfs.org/.

$15 a ticket, Free for undergraduates using an MSU ID. Hope to see you there! :D