Southern Gothic Novel: The Aberdeen, Mississippi Sex Slave Incident

Southern Gothic NovelI am in awe of Frank Blocker.Performing the one-man show Southern Gothic Novel at the Stage Left Studio Theater, and playing seventeen different characters, Blocker is giving one of the most entertaining performances in city right now.Written and performed by Blocker, the hour-long show tells the tale of the town of Aberdeen, Mississippi, where the recent disappearances of young women have the community concerned for their safety. One of these young women, is Viola, a dim-witted hopeless romantic currently smitten with a tall, dark and handsome stranger who is kind enough to give her his handkerchief when she injures her elbow while following him one night. There is also Viola’s mother, Donna, the local idiot Jimmy, who is in love with Viola, Mrs. Wong, who runs the only Chinese restaurant in town, and Odessa “Big Otis” Cole, the owner of the local saloon.Blocker plays every one of these characters, and what’s more, he plays them well. Each one possesses a distinct voice and accent as well as mannerisms. Even when only speaking a line or two, each character feels like a full-fledged character, complete with a past.This background is enhanced in part because program is accompanied by a cast list in the order of appearance, but this list is hardly necessary after the show begins. Blocker is such an entertaining performer that it is difficult to stop watching him to read the description of the character he is playing at that moment.Physical boundaries do not seem to exist for, or inhibit, Blocker in any way. He can act from any position he is in, including lying face-down on the stage without lifting his head from the floor. Even when playing a junebug (an actual insect, not a metaphor), he is believable, buzzing and hissing across the stage. You almost expect him to become airborne.The story itself is entertaining, complete with a twist or two at the end, as well as a sweet love story. But the real star here is Blocker, of whom New York would be lucky to see more of. In the age of overblown productions, where sets and costumes and extended musical numbers struggle to provide the entertainment that weak scripts and jukebox musicals cannot, this single hour of actual entertainment is refreshing and – dare I say it? – inspiring as well.