One of the first notes I wrote was, “This actor is not relaxed.” Two short pages later I wrote, “The characterization of the grandma is the best.” That second note marked the beginning of a theatrical seduction.
In The Biscuiteater, writer and solo performer Jim Loucks tells a story that’s loosely based on his grandaddy. In the script, Grandaddy is little Jimmy’s hero, but he also killed a man — brutally — when he was the chief of police in their small, southern-US town. The Biscuiteater is about masculinity, violence, and love.
American actors are sometimes overly enthusiastic to my Canadian eye and that’s how Loucks’s performance struck me in the opening passage, a perception magnified by the tininess of his venue, the Federation Gallery.
But then he became his grandma as a young woman and the evening transformed. Loucks’s choices were so instinctive. The characterization was so thorough, affectionate, and witty. From that point on, I was pretty much a goner.
The Biscuiteater jumps around in time — often abruptly — but, thanks to the actor’s precision, it’s always completely clear what time we’re in and which character is inhabiting his body.
Loucks sings beautifully. Jimmy’s daddy, who cheats on and rages at his mom, is a preacher: “Have You Been Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?”
The thematic accumulation is slow, rich — and generous.
This is one of the best shows at the Fringe.
Remaining performances: Sept 8, 7:00; Sept 9, 8:45, Sept 10, 10:30, Sept 12, 7:00, Sept 13, 8:45. Tickets
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