Review: Enjoyable 'Blackbird' Covers Uncomfortable Topic

It's not often that a play about pedophilia earns a standing ovation, but Jobsite Theater's production of "Blackbird" by David Harrower did just that. Admittedly, the superlative acting elevated the subject matter to a shameful level of enjoyment.

Una (Caitlin Eason) surprises Ray (Paul J. Potenza) at his workplace one evening. The tension between them is nearly unbearable, as they circle each other in the filthy break room. Una's first word to him is "shock," and that aptly summarizes his condition.

She is there to confront him about their past - an illicit relationship 15 years ago that resulted in imprisonments for either character in one form or another. Una seeks an undefined resolution; it could be anything, from an apology to reconciliation. And she's not leaving until she gets it.

Ray looks like he would do anything to exit this scene, though like Una, who is bound by a confounding web of scars, he cannot. Nor is he capable of satisfying Una's needs. As a true predator - a label he vehemently rejects - he takes but never gives. It's a pattern he continues to the bitter end.

Eason and Potenza spun gold from the detritus of their characters' lives. Slogging through the muck of abuse, their performances were riveting.

Eason was ideal for this difficult role. She looked like Alice lost in Las Vegas instead of Wonderland. Eason transitioned emotions with surprising speed, flying from anger to grief to passion, all while straddling a woman-child demeanor. She more than conveyed the terrible conflict between adult comprehension and adolescent desire.

Potenza, the consummate actor, was alarmingly sympathetic. (Who wants to root for a child molester?) He, too, communicated the subtle complexity of Una and Ray's relationship.

As Ray he said, "You have the right to my humiliation." This one line encapsulates the sick, feral manipulation going on, and Potenza delivered this corker with utter conviction. He did such a brilliant job of playing the victim, in fact, that the final scene hit like a quick jab to the gut.

Karla Hartley directed, and she deserved her own standing ovation for handling the drama so well.

Though another great Jobsite production, be forewarned about its explicit nature.

On Stage

BLACKBIRD

WHEN: Through Sept. 28; 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Shimberg Playhouse, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa; (813) 222-1001; www.tbpac.org

HOW MUCH: $24.50