Is That All There Is, presented by the Cincinnati LAB Theatre, is something of a tease. This fairly straightforward one-act play by Sara Mackie follows the dressing room banter of a successful drag act whose run at a popular venue has been canceled by management. At lights up, we are introduced to Ron, played by Jared D. Doren, the queen in question, as he begins to prepare for his final performance as the sensational Rita.
The hour-long action of the show centers on the reappearance of Ron’s estranged sister Tess (Danielle Muething), once a singer as well, but who gave it up long ago. Ron’s friend and musical director, Chad (Sean Michael Flowers) completes the cast, often serving as referee and confidant. These supporting roles are nicely played, but it’s the lead performance that makes this backstage drama sing — literally. The short rehearsal snippets we get definitely show off Doren’s killer Broadway voice, and those interludes give us a glimpse of the star power that Ron brings to his female alter ego onstage.
While it might be unfair to believe that a playwright should have written a different take on the material, I can’t help but think I wasn’t the only one in the audience who would rather have seen more of Rita and less of the family squabbles and sibling rivalry that make up better part of this show. Several times during the dialogue, Ron feels the need to defend what he does as work, missing the opportunity — as the play does — of the even more important combination of courage, talent and dedication.
This is a good show and definitely one worth seeing, although it always seems to hint at something more brash and fun that it’s determined to keep out of reach.
It’s a tricky thing to name a play after Peggy Lee’s classic of Pop irony. But for this round, the answer to the question “Is That All There Is?” comes down to this: There is actually a great deal more — it just happens on the other side of the curtain.
The CINCINNATI FRINGE FESTIVAL continues through June 11. Find CityBeat reviews of 41 early performances here. For a full schedule and more info about Fringe, visit cincyfringe.com.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 7, 2017.