From Deseret News archives:
'Voyeur' hateful, tasteless as ever
The first thing I would guess that most Deseret Morning News readers want to know about Salt Lake Acting Company's annual foray into Mormon bashing is, just how offensive is it?
Well, after last year's artistic fiasco, SLAC has gone back to the drawing board — and back to its old days — complete with dancing missionaries (in boxer shorts this year instead of faux LDS garments) and poking plenty of not-so-good-natured fun at whatever "gentiles" apparently find frustrating.
The hatefulness on display here could drive a giant wedge into attempts to narrow the Wasatch Front religious divide. Meaningful dialogue this ain't.
Overall, this year's escapade — a look at the "diversity and perversity" straddling the Utah-Nevada state line dividing Wendover (or, in this case, "Bendover") — is more fragmented than focused.
The cleverest and best bits are the well-aimed potshots at "Gayle Gazika" (cross-dressed Joe Welsch) and her smut-busting team of Teen Eaglets, as well as feuding sisters Enola Gay and Lydia (Colleen Baum and Jeanette Puhich), and their ongoing squabble over deep, dark secrets vs. murky family values.
When Enola is introduced to Las Vegas mobster Pauli Gentilee (Morgan Lund), who has come to rescue the Pink Garter Casino, he greets her with "Howdy, Ma'am," to which she retorts, "It's Madame!"
Enola stirs things up with her plans for a Wendover branch of her Wells bordello, the Bunny Temple Ranch.
But "Voyeur" veers haphazardly into way too many strange directions and ends up dragging on far too long.
Dee Macaluso is stuck in a tediously irritating role as Chuck, a distributor for Melvin Dummar's meat-packing company (paving the way for an endless array of offensive remarks).
The show gets even further off track by having longtime "Voyeur" character Lamar (Rock H. White) portraying an LDS mission president who moonlights as a casino security guard. Lamar and the two new missionary elders (Joshua Black and Richard Lopez) spend some time dallying with Enola Gay — then end up being recruited for the Pink Garter's show, the Sons of Provo Chippendale Dancers.
In the process, "Voyeur" also grapples with everything from Kanab's "natural-family" edict and "gay Mormons" to building an aquarium in the desert.
Those who really detest the local social environment will probably think all of this is very funny. But others may also find it disturbingly hateful and completely offensive.
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com
