HOW SWEET IT IS!

From the opening scene of As Bees in Honey Drown, we know that young Evan Wyler (Michael Mazzone) is doomed, but we also know that we are going to be happily amused as he tumbles toward his downfall. A debut novelist on the verge of fame, he reluctantly acquiesces to the demands of the photographer (Benedict Dawn Cross) who is going to put him on the cover of Celebrity magazine, taking off his shirt to show off his “nice build” and sell some books when what he had really hoped for was to pose in a pullover V-neck leaning on a stack of Proust.

Nonetheless, the shirt comes off, and the next thing Evan knows (having revealed that his real name is Eric Wollenstein) he is sitting opposite the fascinating Alexa Vere de Vere (Sehnaz Dirik) who has seen that shirtless photo and makes him an offer he can’t refuse.

The cultural references in this witty script pour out like—well, a lot faster than honey. Alexa makes reference to John Cheever, David Bowie, Theodore Geisel, and Gore Vidal in an opening torrent of flattery and promises about a screenplay she wants Evan to write, and there are further references and allusions tossed off throughout the smart script. It’s New York (and London, and Milan, and Los Angeles, and etc.) in the 90s, and filled with glamorous people—rock stars and painters and writers and designers—and Evan, who has spent nine years writing his first novel and who has been living in self-inflicted poverty as a result, can hardly wait to join them in their restaurants and their clubs and their hotels.

Evan can hardly believe his luck as fast-talking and sophisticated Alexa thrusts cash into his hands once he agrees to write a screenplay based on her life story. Mazzone has Evan down pat—naïve and oh-so-willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams of literary fame come true. He’s gay, but he’s about to fall in love with this woman who promises the world. And who could resist? Dirik is a force to be reckoned with, slyly offering wealth, luxuries, and privileges beyond Evan’s wildest dreams.

Drawn to the honey of Alexa’s promises, Evan is indeed soon drowning, and he eventually learns that he is far from the only one to have been lured into her trap. How he extricates himself to win what he truly wants and on his own terms makes for hilarious satire. Director David J. Miller came out of retirement to direct this gem of a production, taking full advantage of a small but mighty cast in multiple roles (Isabel Ginsberg, Bradley Belanger, Lauren Elias) and of Anna Silva’s costumes, both comely and comical, and Erik Fox’s lighting design.

photos by Gary Ng

As Bees in Honey Drown
Theater UnCorked
Boston Center for the Arts, Plaza Black Box Theatre, 539 Tremont St.
ends on May 18, 2025
for tickets ($47), visit Theater UnCorked