MUST SEE: Beauty Freak Is Riveting and Gorgeous

A superb production rocks The Cell

Molly Serenduke

There are times in theatre that a piece extends its hand at something far out of reach for most plays. James Clements' Beauty Freak is one of those pieces. To begin, the play makes you root for and feel bright and energized and riveted about a Nazi, Leni Riefenshtal. The play's ability to do this is the work of a top-tier collaboration between Clements, director Danilo Gambini, the entire design team and the star Baize Buzan.

The Cell is a tiny theatre in Chelsea, but the way this production uses the space is spectacular. The transitions between scenes are beautiful, fully integrated into the story, and delicious - like cake frosting. How am I so adoring of a character who works so closely with Hitler? This is where Clements succeeds, and it's a testament to how well-stylized Beauty Freak is - the lights, the sound, the direction - but the master behind this truly ambitious and difficult approach is Clements himself. However, Buzan is right beside Clements in this endeavor. Her performance is superb. She captures perfectly how this piece is stylized. She is sweet, charismatic, brightly-colored and then menacing.

The piece carries on, scene after scene, pressing the audience with charged and difficult realities about fascism and ultimately the United States. The scene with Disney is very interesting, but I don't think it's as impactful as intended. The latter part of the play, including the implied ending, work, and the play remains riveting, but once you start hating Leni, the entire propulsion of the play slows down a bit.

Overall, though, this play is outstanding. I could see it creating a certain distance between some audiences who want a scene with more comedy to loosen the grip of the play. I admit that I had fleeting moments of feeling this way, too, but I think for the wrong reasons, ultimately.

This play is a searing, scorching triumph. Maybe it's not for a broad audience. It's not for the Disney crowd. It gives them the finger. But ultimately, at the end of the day, the play, and how it's presented, is magnificent.