author: Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington
The ExPats Theatre company (“a small theater that grapples with big ideas”) presents a “satirical tale on toxic masculinity”, Testosterone, at a time in which a political revival of masculinist ideals seems to be on the horizon.
Yet Testosterone is equally a satirical take on gated communities, smug elites bemoaning the violence they see on their televisions, and the pervasive 21st century cop-out of blaming anything (bad genes, bad upbringing, bad movies, hormones, capitalism) for the messes humans make of their lives. It’s also an absurdist romp with talking gore-covered ghosts, over-the-top cartoon violence, and a few animated performances that make the evening at the Atlas a worthwhile experience.
Rebekka Kricheldorf’s script (translated into English by Neil Blackadder) is loosely based on the Brothers Grimm tale, The Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear but in this contemporary update, the tale’s thematic thread has largely been ditched to allow comic riffs on the extremes of chest-thumping machismo vs. elite priggishness. In fact, Kricheldorf avoids pursuing a single theme, so in addition to toxic masculinity, the play satirizes philanthropic pretension, therapeutic and media tropes, slut-shaming, and more.
Patriarch Fabian Klemmer (Eli EL) lives seemingly ruled by fear, surrounded by surveillance systems, guards, three walls and two moats, constantly checked by video feeds. His “good son” Ingo (Elgin Martin), a physician, also lives in the family fortress with his fiancé, Solveig (Amberrain Andrews), a smug psychotherapist. “Bad son” Raul (Gary DuBreuill), has long been lost to the Bad Neighborhoods where he serves as a testosterone-fueled hitman-for-hire.
The family’s troubles start when Silvana (Jenna Rossman), the recipient of their “Adopt-a-Whore” philanthropic project, escapes from her bondage and arrives seeking refuge. With the evils of the outside world erupting into the fortress, the family must reach out to prodigal son Raul to save them from the evil gangster Slatko (Bruce Alan Rauscher). Comic chaos ensues.
Black comedy at this level is a challenge for the best of actors and directors. While it was clear that the actors were working hard, Karin Rosnizeck’s direction left the show feeling at times uneven and the cast adrift.
To be fair, ExPat’s opening night production wasn’t wholly smooth (there were a few technical issues), but several performances effectively engaged the audience. Gary DuBreill best sustains the tricky tone required for the piece, with his characterization of Raul managing to remain genuinely offensive, cartoonishly-comic and oddly appealing, all at once.
With her delivery of “If only there were more people like us,” Amberrain Williams hits the perfect tone at the start, but her character’s emotional changes are harder to maintain with any believable consistency. Jenna Rossman offers the most nearly “real” performance of the show as Silvana, who delivers with great aplomb a wholly-out-left-field monologue which conjures up Tennessee William’s feverishly lyrical writing in Suddenly, Last Summer.
Bruce Alan Rauscher may not have the most frightening presence for a gangster, but he handles the black comedy and stylized dialog perhaps better than anyone in the cast: he clearly understands this genre. A highlight of the evening was a scene late in the show where Rauscher is playing a ghost who is coaching Dubreill’s character on how to woo Andrews – his soon to be sister-in-law. The chemistry between these three actors felt real and made for some of the funniest moments in the show.
Donna Breslin’s costume design was effective and cartoonish at the appropriate times, though at least twice on opening night, the scene breaks felt uncomfortably long due to costume changes. Scenic design is difficult in the wide but shallow acting space. Projections on a screen were extremely well done even if the set itself left one wondering if the family were indeed wealthy or just pretending. Ian Clair’s lighting was effective.
As for the script itself, it is an ambitious undertaking: Moonstruck meets Skin of our Teeth meets Laugh In. It will not be for everyone’s taste but for those that have a taste for black comedy, Testosterone may become a new favorite.
Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Testosterone plays through April 6th 2025 with ExPats Theatre in Theatre Lab II of The Atlas Performing Arts Center— 1333 H. Street NE in Washington, DC. For tickets call the box office at 202-399-7993 ext. 501 or purchase them in advance online.
