GayFest! presents Steve Yockey's 'Wolves'

Director Michael Osinski's staging of this 60-minute thriller begins when the house opens. Ben (Evan Raines), an awkward 20-something, sings and plays bucolic tunes. A character we know only as the slinky femme fatale Narrator (Janice Rowland) could be Ben’s imaginary friend or absent mother, but more likely she’s his personal demon.

Domestic tension

She takes over when the play begins, introducing Jack (Peter Varga), Ben's sort-of houseguest, not-quite boyfriend. Jack's tired of staying home and eating Chinese takeout. He wants to explore their city's nightlife. Ben calls the city "the forest" and warns of "wolves" beyond their apartment door, but Jack won’t listen.

Jack returns with a pickup he dubs "Wolf" (Michael E. Manley), a deliberate poke at Ben's paranoia. From there, as the Narrator charmingly explains, along with a clap that freezes the actors and changes the lights, it's "not a pretty story."

She also warns, "You probably shouldn't go looking for a moral," and admonishes us for our surprise when events turn violent, since "there's been an axe up here the whole time!" (I admit, though I noticed the incongruous axe and its woodpile downstage right, I had accepted and forgotten it until seeing it hoisted in rage.) I've never heard an audience gasp in shock and alarm like they did opening night; sitting close to the action has something to do with it, but so does the play's well-crafted suspenseful build.

Stop looking for a moral

So, is Wolves against the big bad city, warning about bringing home attractive strangers, or cautioning us against unhinged roommates? There I go, looking for a moral. The Brothers Grimm didn't provide any and neither does Yockey, but they both gave us memorable, iconic stories that resonate powerfully.

Wolves features not only the brave ensemble's strong performances, but foreboding lighting by John Allerheiligen, eerie sound design by Damien Figueras, and Sara Outing's initially puzzling, eventually justified set design, which outlines the men's apartment on the floor in tape. Stage manager Sarah Zerod deserves special credit for cleaning up the resulting unholy mess.

Wolves is a great warm-up for the Philly Fringe, where its length and creepiness would fit perfectly, and for Halloween, when scary stories sans morals thrive. It's another great discovery by GayFest!, and a chilling experience, perfect for a hot summer night.