One Man, A Hundred Voices
Frank Blockers last one-man show, Southern Gothic Novel, was a 60-minute tour-de-force, as he acted out a novels worth of characters and plots, all set in a small Southern town. Whipping from one finely defined character to one another with just a change in posture, Blocker proved himself a nimble and adept performer. His latest show, Fearless Moral Inventory, is further evidence of his vocal mastery, but feels like a step backward in terms of storytelling.
Whereas Southern Gothic Novel had an elaborate, melodramatic plot, Fearless Moral Inventory is a gallery of different characters all adding up the total of their lives in various stages of epiphanies. Theres not much throughline to connect the men and women Blocker channels (including himself), and so the show often feels cobbled together. Blocker does add a few serious moments to Inventory among the gags (including former beauty pageant consultant Sue Sue, wrapped in a turban and sipping from her flask through a straw), which serves to throw both in higher relief. But one longs for another tour-de-force along the lines of Southern Gothic Novel. For fans of Blocker, Fearless Moral Inventory feels like a placeholder; for anyone who hasnt yet been exposed to Blocker and the men and women who live in his mind, by all means buy tickets.
Every Monday night, Stage Left Studio Theatre, 438 W. 37th St. (betw. 9th & 10th Aves.), 212868-4444; $20.