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Next Stage Press
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Smith & Kraus Best Men's Monologues '23
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Smith & Kraus Best Women's Monologues '23
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Synopsis
A band of aging, ego-bruised actors in a crumbling provincial theatre abduct the merciless critic who has savaged their careers and devise a ludicrously overcomplicated plan to murder him live onstage during their own performance. What could possibly go wrong? Egos outrun intellect as the conspirators – an unhinged leading man with a hero complex, a facelift-obsessed diva, a long-in-the-tooth, narcoleptic ingénue with a cocaine habit, and a gloriously mediocre drunk – attempt to carry out a revenge plot they scarcely understand. Aided by a disgruntled stage manager and a stagehand who may be the only competent person in the building, the scheme rapidly unravels into missed cues, malfunctioning tech, duplicate costumes, bungled pickpocketing, accidental concussions, and an increasingly exasperated captive critic who proves far steadier than his would-be executioners. What results is a razor-sharp backstage satire about vanity, desperation, and the thin line between performance and reality, where the show must go on even if someone doesn’t. Brute Farce is a biting, satirical look at the tangled, often dysfunctional, and sometimes explosive relationship between actors and critics.
Inspiration Set
Playwright Note
I had the great good fortune to collaborate with an extraordinary group of DC-area actors and theatre artists over several years as this play evolved from a rough, pandemic-born draft into a fully realized work, shaped through Zoom readings, in-person development sessions, private pitches, and public presentations, with each iteration sharpening pace, clarifying stakes, and deepening the farce. I began writing Brute Farce in 2020 as both distraction and necessity, a way to find laughter at a time when the world, and the theatre industry in particular, felt suspended, fragile, and uncertain; in response, I set out to create something unapologetically raucous, a love letter to the shared space, breath, and absurdity that period so starkly underscored. Set in a careworn provincial theatre where ego eclipses judgment and desperation breeds delusion, the play follows a troupe of aging actors plotting revenge on a merciless critic, with predictably catastrophic results, unfolding as a backstage satire of vanity, relevance, and the precarious line between performance and reality. Brute Farce both celebrates and skewers live theatre, including missed cues, technical mishaps, inflated egos, and the combustible actor–critic dynamic, while ultimately extending a simple invitation to surrender to the madness, laugh loudly among strangers, and, for a couple of hours, remember why we fell in love with theatre in the first place.
Production History
BRUTE FARCE was originally produced by Dominion Stage at the Gunston Arts Center, Theater II, in Arlington, VA, opening on Fri, Aug 4th, 2023, and closing on Sat, Aug 19th, 2023. The production was directed by Matthew Randall and featured Mario Font as Alistair McHugh, Joe Dzikiewicz as Killian Black, Shayne Gardner as Deirdre Shepherd, Karey L. Hart as Reggie Brimble, Kat Sanchez as Fiona Bainbridge, Heather Plank as Vivian Pruitt, and Richard Fiske as Quinn Ponsonby.
Development History
BRUTE FARCE received a public reading on Tue, May 2nd, 2023 at the Gunston Theatre Two in Arlington, VA. Presented by Dominion Stage, the piece was directed by Matthew Randall and featured Mario Font as Alistair McHugh, Joe Dzikiewicz as Killian Black, Heather Plank as Dierdre Shepherd, Eileen Copas as Reggie Brimble, Elizabeth Keith as Vivian Pruitt, Kat Sanchezas as Fiona Bainbridge, and Peter Halverson as Quinn Ponsonby.
BRUTE FARCE received staged readings at the Anacostia Arts Center on Oct 27th, 28th & 29th, 2022. These readings were made possible thanks to a generous grant made available by Duane Gautier and the Valley Place Arts Collaborative/ARCH, and through the kind support of Adele Robey. The cast featured Michael Replogle as Alistair McHugh, Matthew Pauli as Killian Black, Karina Hilleard as Dierdre Shepherd, Dana Scott Galloway as Reggie Brimble, Lisa M. Hodsoll as Vivian Pruitt, Claire Schoonover as Fiona Bainbridge, and Steve Lebens as Quinn Ponsonby.
BRUTE FARCE received staged readings at the Anacostia Arts Center on Oct 27th, 28th & 29th, 2022. These readings were made possible thanks to a generous grant made available by Duane Gautier and the Valley Place Arts Collaborative/ARCH, and through the kind support of Adele Robey. The cast featured Michael Replogle as Alistair McHugh, Matthew Pauli as Killian Black, Karina Hilleard as Dierdre Shepherd, Dana Scott Galloway as Reggie Brimble, Lisa M. Hodsoll as Vivian Pruitt, Claire Schoonover as Fiona Bainbridge, and Steve Lebens as Quinn Ponsonby.
Awards/Recognition
2022 Dominion Stage Playwrighting Competition Full Length Winner.
2021 The Loom New Works Festival Finalist.
2021 The Loom New Works Festival Finalist.
Reviews/Recommendations
“A future theater-laughs-at-itself classic alongside Michael Frayn’s Noises Off."
"Houk’s comedy is a near-perfect, laugh-out-loud farce, owing not only to the cockamamie plot but to the comic invective among the bungling actors, harried production crew, and acerbic critic."
"In what has to be one of the funniest props in theater lore, Reggie has rigged an elaborate electrical cueing system involving four colored light bulbs, one for each actor, and four clear light bulbs, one for each scene. The actors all being themselves dim bulbs, the device results in complete confusion."
“High stakes, nutball characters gifted with enormous self-regard and not much else, an over-engineered backstage prompting system, and no recurring gag too cheap to revisit, Brute Farce is a venomous delight.”
“A very funny, very dark backstage comedy of errors and terrors.”
“A backstage - or in this case under stage - farce worthy of being ranked with The Play That Goes Wrong and Noises Off.”
“Full of laughs and vile, self-centered characters who suffer the tortures of the damned.”
“Houk’s BRUTE FARCE is a breath of fresh air in a world of recycled schtick!”
“Vivid characters, crackling dialogue and visual gags – all a treat for the audience.”
“Every over-the-top role is a gem for character actors over forty.”
“Furiously frantic and funny with lots of physical humor and wordplay, plus a great challenge for actors and designers alike. Hilarious!”
“A very funny comedy that had me laughing out loud and holding my breath as each new plot point unraveled and exploded right in front of us.”
“A play that screams to be staged.”
“So much is going on in this physically demanding comedy, you will WANT to see this as often as possible.”
“Houk has created a meticulously structured, no-joke-is-off-the-table play that shows a genuine love for actors, and not so much love for theatre critics.”
"Houk’s comedy is a near-perfect, laugh-out-loud farce, owing not only to the cockamamie plot but to the comic invective among the bungling actors, harried production crew, and acerbic critic."
"In what has to be one of the funniest props in theater lore, Reggie has rigged an elaborate electrical cueing system involving four colored light bulbs, one for each actor, and four clear light bulbs, one for each scene. The actors all being themselves dim bulbs, the device results in complete confusion."
“High stakes, nutball characters gifted with enormous self-regard and not much else, an over-engineered backstage prompting system, and no recurring gag too cheap to revisit, Brute Farce is a venomous delight.”
“A very funny, very dark backstage comedy of errors and terrors.”
“A backstage - or in this case under stage - farce worthy of being ranked with The Play That Goes Wrong and Noises Off.”
“Full of laughs and vile, self-centered characters who suffer the tortures of the damned.”
“Houk’s BRUTE FARCE is a breath of fresh air in a world of recycled schtick!”
“Vivid characters, crackling dialogue and visual gags – all a treat for the audience.”
“Every over-the-top role is a gem for character actors over forty.”
“Furiously frantic and funny with lots of physical humor and wordplay, plus a great challenge for actors and designers alike. Hilarious!”
“A very funny comedy that had me laughing out loud and holding my breath as each new plot point unraveled and exploded right in front of us.”
“A play that screams to be staged.”
“So much is going on in this physically demanding comedy, you will WANT to see this as often as possible.”
“Houk has created a meticulously structured, no-joke-is-off-the-table play that shows a genuine love for actors, and not so much love for theatre critics.”
Dominon Stage (Arlington, VA - 2023)
REMINDER: No presentation or production of BRUTE FARCE, in whole or in part, is allowed unless permission is granted by the playwright or his designated agents.