Stephen King overlooks the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in horror-thriller NOVEL at Arts Asylum
Photo by Ryan Bruce
Last year, I had the privilege of interviewing playwright Ryan Bernsten. In the article, we dove into his three horror shows that have shocked, disturbed, and delighted audiences across Kansas City. The scripts alone were fantastic, but I never actually watched any of the productions. When I heard they’d be staging NOVEL at the Arts Asylum, I simply had to see it for myself.
The dark academia aesthetic of the set transports the viewer into a reclusive writer’s retreat. Under the sadistic eye of a legendary horror author (Tim Ahlenius) and his TA (Kendra Keller), Warren (Matthew Briggs) and Sharice (Brandis Outlaw) are forced to unravel their psyches throughout his rather unorthodox writing exercises.
The two leads differ greatly, and their neuroses bounce off one another in hilarious fashion. A nice break from the rather heavy or fearsome themes. Warren, being an overly eager gay man struggling with feelings of impurity after conversion therapy meets Sharice, a self-assured Black woman unafraid of the elephant in the room. Their uniting force are closets full of skeletons and an unrelenting need for success—all of this staged to perfection by director Ashton Botts.
When reading the script alone, I was able to formulate my own vision of the characters and their mannerisms. Not only did the cast match my idealized visions, but they really had fun with some of the quirks and deliveries. From the constant shaking of Hal, who has a neurological disorder, Warren’s fidgeting, or Sharice’s opinions constantly being worn on her face, even silent moments said something.
Last year, Bernsten told me that the overarching theme of this play was institutions and their abuse of power. We watch as these two hopeful novelists tear each other and themselves to shreds in the hope of a published book. Fitting the show’s tagline, “When does ambition become psychopathy?”
Photo by Ryan Bruce
Bernsten’s plays always have a twist. NOVEL possesses the most shocking one, in my opinion. The mind games, drugging, and physical torture aren’t even the giant surprise here. Those are all expected from the Kansas City playwright at this point. These just set the viewer up for the real scares.
The showing I attended was a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Though the crowd was small at this early showing, everyone still gave 110%. Something that I admire deeply about the KC arts scene is the dedication to the stories and not the viewership. Everyone from the actors to the tech folks poured their heart into this production for the love of this play.
And I know. Another article from The Pitch telling you to support local theatre is kind of like saying, “Fork found in kitchen,” but there’s a reason I have covered Bernsten’s plays multiple times in the last year. It’s damn good theatre! And if you missed out on WE ARE BLOOD and THE NEW ORDER at Jewell Theatre Company this past November, you have no excuse to miss out on these upcoming shows.
They’re only here for a short stint at The Arts Asylum until February 10, with 7 p.m. showings Monday, Friday, and Saturday and a 2 p.m matinee on Sunday. The real horror would be missing out on this show.
Photo by Ryan Bruce
