‘Mouth to Mouth’ gets up close and personal onstage

‘Mouth to Mouth’ has finally come to Pittsburgh, and not just in Valentine’s Day activities…. ‘Mouth to Mouth’ has finally come to Pittsburgh, and not just in Valentine’s Day activities. Quantum Theatre’s latest production is filling the Cultural District with drama. Frank, played by Ken Bolden, is a middle-aged gay man who explores his relationships through a dialogue that is both emotional and hilarious in playwright Kevin Elyot’s drama. ‘The secrets would shock anyone,’ said Karla Boos, Quantum Theatre’s artistic director. ‘And if you want to find out, you’ll just have to come see the show.’ Frank has a long-standing friendship with Laura, played by Boos, whose prodigal son has just returned home from an eye-opening study abroad experience. From there, it becomes the tragic irony of life intertwined with comedic conversations. It’s the story of middle-aged Americans, through a study of relationships, failed and attempted opportunities, and most of all, the difficulty of communication. ‘ ‘I think that college-aged kids will see their parents, maybe they can see them through an objective light to try to understand where adults are coming from,’ said Boos. But, it might also be a chance to laugh at ‘old’ age, pushing back the responsibilities to which real adults must commit.’ Boos wanted to show ‘Mouth to Mouth’ to a Pittsburgh audience since she first saw the play nearly 10 years ago. Now, as the mother of a teenager about to go off to college, she is beginning to understand the fear and excitement that many mothers have experienced. ‘I did not see myself as Laura when I first saw the play, but now with my teenager, it really fits,’ she said. ‘ Boos has a unique perspective of the art world. She founded Quantum Theatre in 1990 with a mission to ‘bring forth artists forging new theatrical ground.” She believes in the ‘primacy of the performance ‘mdash; and the actor is central to that.’ She works with actors to help them hone their craft and make the play outstanding. As an actor in this play, she said, ‘I think it’s great to put myself in the position that I ask others to be in.” This kind of philosophy has made Quantum Theatre productions a pleasure to watch. Actors often act in spaces that enhance their work. In past performances such as ‘Breakfast with Mugabe,’ the play was held in an office building where remodeling was occurring. Space is once again an important part of this play. Like Quantum’s other plays, ‘Mouth to Mouth’ is not set in a traditional theatrical space, but rather in a Downtown loft, looking over other apartments.’ The space is intimate and forces the audience to step inside the characters’ lives, literally. ‘We were going to use someone’s actual apartment, setting the stage in the family room, right in front of the master bedroom,’ said Boos. Eventually, they developed the urban space, using the building’s characteristics to highlight today’s city existence. Throughout the play, the characters never leave the stage. They might leave the central area to go into the background or play the piano, but they are never out of the audience’s view.’ ‘It is weird when you are in the wings offstage, and then onstage again,’ said Boos, but in this way, the character is constantly developed, even when not speaking. The setting of ‘Mouth to Mouth’ gives actors the ability to say so much more by being off screen’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Quantum Theatre has a unique ability to work with artists and space to create plays that explain and explore.’ ‘Mouth to Mouth’ should prove to be the same.’ Just because Valentine’s Day is over, the ‘Mouth to Mouth’ doesn’t need to end.