Now playing at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre is the world premiere of Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular. Performed by an enthusiastic and energetic ensemble, and written by Lisa Sanaye Dring with Rogue Artists Ensemble, director Sean Cawelti interviewed over a dozen stunt performers (several closeted) who shared intimate stories about the challenges they face in the film industry. As someone not familiar with stunt work, this new play with music offered me an insider’s look through the eyes of stuntmen working on soundstages and sets where dangerous falls that could paralyze them (or worse) is the height of achievement, called a “Happy Fall”, which generates the most income for the stuntmen performing them.
Carlos R. Chavez and David Ellard
With clever choreography by Cody Brunelle-Potter, stunts, a slew of costume changes, and enough stunning visual effects about the work Hollywood stuntmen do behind the scenes, both in person and with miniatures, Happy Fall, which opened last weekend, is a tribute to the resiliency of the queer community. It illuminates issues of racial and cultural identity in an industry based on dreams — and uncovers the real price of a love story hidden from view, and of being true to oneself — with the entire experience resembling a gay-themed circus with stunts galore performed live.
Amir Levi
Under the leadership of the Host, the always effervescent Amir Levi, we are taken through the backstage love story between long-time stuntman Clay (David Ellard), who knows how to play to the camera, and the younger Felix (Kurt Kanazawa); after working together on soundstages and in the wild doing high fall stunts, they begin their hidden relationship to keep the “movie magic” in their films without revealing their true love lives to the public. Of course, everyone working on the films knows what is really going on when the cameras stop, but they stay silent to keep their jobs.
The Ensemble
Ensemble members Lucas Brahme, Carlos R. Chavez, Gabriel Croom, Kelsey Kato, Maia Luer, Tiana Randall-Quant, Mikki Yamashiro, and Jerry Zou are kept on their toes setting up the stunts and special effects in full view of the audience. The amount of continuous movement had to be choreographed like a ballet with each cast member keeping totally focused on the tasks to be accomplished, making sure the ever-changing scenes flowed safely as well as quickly, including large movie cameras wheeled into place which were then maneuvered around the stage. This hard-working cast remained totally present with each other’s movements while paying strict attention to detail during the ever-changing scenes.
Tiana Randall-Quant, Kelsey Kato, Kurt Kanazawa
Known for incorporating puppets to great effect, Rogue Artists does not disappoint thanks to lead puppet designer Jack Pullman’s life-size wooden stuntman puppet who appears in scenes with Felix as he imagines his perfect life with Clay, which he wants to take out into the world. But Clay, who sees his job as his entire life. chooses to keep their love private to preserve his career. So, when Felix’s slip of the tongue outs their relationship to the press, will Clay ends things with him?
Kurt Kanazawa
Several miniature puppets designed by Adrian Rose Leonard are incorporated in the staging of stunts being filmed, which are broadcast live on screens to show the audience how the stunts will look in the movies. I just wish the puppeteers during these scenes would have been dressed in black to better focus attention on the puppets’ scenes rather than the people manipulating them. Then again, given the number of costume changes required, perhaps there wasn’t enough time to allow for that.
Gabriel Croom
While learning how stunts were done in movies since 1915 was interesting, perhaps sharing more clips from the original films would accentuate the effectiveness of the work being done by stuntmen live on stage. I did enjoy seeing how backgrounds were added to scenes filmed on green screen. In fact, more clips and historical information about them would increase the appeal of the overall production.
David Ellard and Kurt Kanazawa
Lighting designer Amber Shift had a Herculean job to do, but misses the mark when super bright lights are beamed directly at the audience causing many to shield their eyes from the onslaught, which perhaps robbed us of seeing the scenes being performed.
Composer Adrien Prevost adds in background music as well as a few uncredited songs sung by cast members. Cawelti also designed the videos for the production and co-designed the open scenic elements with Keith Mitchell. Assisting in creating perfect illusions is fight direction by professional stunt performer Celina Lee Surniak, who also acts as intimacy director.
photos by Bryce Darlington
Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular
Rogue Artists
a co-production with the Los Angeles LGBT Center and Contemporary American Theater
Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre
Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood
105 minutes with no intermission
Thurs-Sat at 8; Sun at 3 (Sunday, Sept. 1 is a Pay-What-You-Can understudy performance)
ends on September 8, 2024
for tickets (45 to $78 with fees), call 323.860.7300 or visit Gay Center Theatre
