ABOUT CLIMAX

CLIMAX tells the story of Beryl and Mason, a Noel Coward-esque couple, dressing for a party they're destined never to attend. A certain flaccidity pervades their lives, despite the brisk banter they find themselves drowning in. They mix cocktails, apply final touches, and struggle to grasp why they're so fantastically underwhelmed with life. Of course, the oven mitts aren't helping.

Beryl is positioned at her vanity. Mason has his full-length mirror. They admire each other and, obtusely, themselves, for being a 'good fit.' But what goes unsaid, almost said, and obliquely restated is the icy heart of CLIMAX. Is there a lover? Is there a child? Is murder in their past or their future? And why the damned oven mitts? CLIMAX is a stunning portrait of two people who have too little sense and too much decency to be unhappy.

Nick Sholley and Stacy Ross

On film, CLIMAX has the opportunity to throw open all the windows, and let Beryl and Mason really suffocate. Exploring that perverse relationship between privilege and potential are two of the finest actors working in Bay Area theatre today: Stacy Ross and Nick Sholley-- their skill and their subtlety are pivotal in making CLIMAX a showcase of droll absurdity. Underscored by its haunting theme composed by Don Seaver, CLIMAX is certain to mesmerize, with its biting wit and a denouement both startling and inevitable. 

Plus, it's funny.