Demolition Review – Family Business

Penned by actor/writer Matthew Letscher, DEMOLITION makes its world debut at the Pacific Resident Theatre in 2024. While not autobiographical, nonetheless Letscher’s history included working for his father in construction as a young man, certainly a plus in this tale. To quote Letscher, “The work was physical and practical. The men I worked with were various parts strong, responsible, aggressive, raunchy, angry, scary, flawed, and despairing. They often felt like a different species.” Despite their many personality aspects, however, Letscher observed that “…all boys become men by watching and listening to other men. Fathers, brothers, teachers, clergy, coaches, coworkers, athletes, politicians, etc.…(and sometimes) the right man comes along at the right time to help us…really fortunate boys have many male role models to given them context and guide them.”

Brian Letscher and Ryan Foust – Photo courtesy of Pacific Resident Theatre

And so we segue into DEMOLITION, the story of Paul (Ryan Foust), a geeky, sensitive teenager, and the men in his life who will shape the man he is to become. There is his father Chuck (Brian Letscher), a bombastic, powerful, and devious Michigan contractor who doesn’t mind bending a few rules to get what he wants. Then there is Doug (Keith Stevenson), Chuck’s employee – an unassuming man who observes but rarely steps in. At school, Paul also rubs shoulders with his principal, Mr. France (Tony Pasqualini/ Douglas Weston), a rigid man who is sensitivity-challenged and probably burned out from his years as an educator. There’s no shortage of females around either, notably June (Samantha Sloyan), Paul’s church-obsessed mom who never leaves the house without her rosary beads and a few prayers ready to burst from her lips, and Marcy (Melissa Weber), Chuck’s client, a high-strung actuarial who’s having some work done on her house. And let’s keep those walnut floors pristine.

Keith Stevenson and Melissa Bales – Photo courtesy of Pacific Resident Theatre

DEMOLITION is carefully helmed by Max Mayer, who is ably assisted by the highly talented ensemble cast. This is a poignant, funny, bittersweet, bawdy story about a small-town teenager struggling to understand himself and define his identity. DEMOLITION covers all the bases and then some, all the while adding some well-placed humor and keen insights into the mix. The play has its share of small-town secrets, some of which may never come to light. DEMOLITION will appeal to audiences fascinated by family dynamics and small-town politics. This is a thought-provoking production, and you cannot fail to have feelings and opinions about these fully fleshed-out folks and how they deal with each other and their world. You will probably leave the theater wondering what kind of man teen-aged Paul will turn out to be.

Keith Stevenson and Samantha Sloyan – Photo courtesy of Pacific Resident Theatre

DEMOLITION runs through October 13, 2024, with performances at 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. The Pacific Resident Theatre is located at 703 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291. Tickets range from $35 to $45 (55+ discount $10; student rush at door $12). For information and reservations, call 310-822-8392 or go online.