Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Spencer Aste’s sobering theatrical memoir WAKE UP is a harrowing saga of addiction

• By drediman
• September 15, 2024
• No Comments

The heady folks over at Bedlam have kicked off their season with a re-tooled version of Spencer Aste’s theatrical memoir Wake Up at the West End Theatre on the Upper West Side. The solo show — which chronicles the actor’s toxic relationship with crystal meth — was previously seen at the Axis Theatre down in the West Village last year in a separate production directed by Maegan Simpson. Under the guidance of co-directors Eric Tucker (Beldam’s brilliant artistic director) and Kim Tobin-Lehl, the piece has been distilled and focused to an existential fever dream.

Had the piece been primarily about Aste’s experience as a gay Mormon or his struggles trying to establish himself as a classical stage actor of note, the show would have been compelling in its own right. But as a reflection and meditation on his long, life-threatening bout with drug addiction — which blossomed while preparing to take on the leading role of Richard III — Wake Up is a sobering journey, and one well worth taking. Take note that the play is frank about Aste’s experience, and its raw and candid depictions of the events of his downward spiral (in addition to using crystal meth, he also sold and dealt it) and recollections of the drug’s all-encompassing and destructive grasp on the actor are occasionally difficult to watch, especially given how inherently likable Aste is as a person. In this regard, the work calls to mind James T. Lane’s Triple Threat, another powerful one-man show about addiction vis-à-vis show business.

The work benefits from Tucker and Tobin-Lehl’s clear-eyed and exceedingly intimate staging (designed for just a handful of audience members at a time), which initially gives off the impression of being set at a group therapy session — and in a sense it is, particularly for Aste as he performs it. Gradually, theatrical elements are thrown into the mix, particularly the production’s striking lighting and sound design, which have been beautifully integrated into Aste’s harrowing autobiographical tale. As for Aste, he gives an utterly brave performance that runs the gamut of emotions — from the joy of finding lasting love to debilitating, drug-induced paranoia.

RECOMMENDED

WAKE UP
Off-Broadway, Play
Bedlam at the West End Theatre
45 minutes (without an intermission)
Through September 22