`Cloak and Dagger' takes Rough road to comedy

by Robert Nesti
Wednesday, December 11, 2002

``Cloak and Dagger,'' an original play developed by Rough and Tumble Theatre, at the Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, through Dec. 21.

Rough and Tumble is easily one of the more unique theater companies in this city. Using elements of mime and cinematic techniques, actors have perfected a style that is akin to bringing silent film comedies to the stage. It's like a Buster Keaton comedy come to life.

What makes the company so special is it creates pieces using only the phrase ``blah, blah, blah'' as text, relying upon the actors' inflections and body movements to convey thenarrative points.

It might sound a bit strange and off-putting, but at the actors' best, as with last year's ``Archimedes Abercrombie Goes to the Movies,'' they can be sly and very funny.

``Cloak and Dagger'' is also a movie parody, in this case of the kind of romantic spy movies that turn up now and again, most recently in the thriller ``The Truth About Charlie,'' which starred Mark Wahlberg.

The story doesn't concern a jewel theft, but that of a futuristic device that somehow sucks the intelligence or personality (or something) out of the person at whom it is pointed. Whatever it does, it is top secret, and subject to theft by an international spy ring.

The rather convoluted narrative follows a master American spy, named Flynn, and his female companion, a spunky scientist named Natasha, on an international chase after the device mysteriously disappears. This journey takes them to Paris and the Himalayas as they attempt to keep the device out of a power-mad terrorist's hands.

There are some funny bits here, especially whenever Tori Low, as the scientist, is onstage. Low has expressive features ideal for this style of comedy, and captures the understated, tongue-in-cheek style perfectly. She's a comic find.

But at close to 80 minutes in length, ``Cloak and Dagger'' wears itself thin. It's a case of one too many ``blah, blah, blahs.''

Which is too bad because talented director Dan Milstein has both vision and an ability to elicit good comic performances from his ensemble, most of whom have worked with him in the past. Newcomer Brian Platt, as the deadpan master spy, and veteran Sean Barney, as the devious double-agent, have this style of physical comedy down pat.

There also is good work from Irene Daly and George Saulnier III in a variety of smaller roles, and Kimberly Conzo as the devious criminal mastermind.

Some tightening and refocusing would've helped the sagging piece. Still, if you've never seen Rough and Tumble's brand of special comedy, it simply might be an inspired alternative to the usual holiday fare.