My Son the Playwright – Rogue Machine Theatre (Henry Murray Stage)
Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
Here is one of those plays that makes you want to run home afterwards just to write about it. Perfect space for sitting in someone’s living room. It is so easy here to break the fourth wall and talk to the audience. I appreciate the lighting because I can easily take notes.
My Son the Playwright, excellently written and performed by Justin Tanner, is the narrative about his relationship with his dad. In this personal, courageous and intimate new solo show, Tanner shines as a super talented writer, actor and singer. Portraying Douglas (dad) and James (son), shows how versatile, flexible and gifted he is. In portraying dad who loves his bourbon, and sips on it throughout the first act making me wonder if he was drinking real stuff, because he was becoming more drunk with every sip. And another thing that was impressive; after heavy emotional, super physical, and straining portrayal of the character, he sits at the piano and sings with that angelic, calm, controlled voice – like nothing happened. Great job!
The show is very realistic, both characters are portrayed with enormous energy, enthusiasm and flexibility. The word choices and sentence fluency worked well whenever I saw dad talking about his son and son talking about his dad. No matter what is going on, there is always love hidden for each other somewhere. By giving us a happy ending, we can witness his disclosure, forgiveness, vulnerability, and love for his dad, which has been very moving for me. I looked, and there were teary eyes all around me.
Justin Tanner works as a creative consultant for numerous projects in theatre, film, and television and has credits including more than twenty produced plays as well as credits writing TV shows and web series.
Lisa James, the director, did a brilliant job by helping Tanner to get this play going. She helped him in shaping it in the final stretch, suggested cuts and most importantly recommended that he plays both parts father and son. Brilliant idea and outstanding job! Tanner said in an interview, “We’ve been working together since 2000, and nobody understands my work better than her. She has a keen eye for detail and knows instinctively where to lean in for the greatest dramatic (and comedic) payoff. Her approach is tireless and expansive; she sees everything at once: the specific moment and where it fits into the final picture. Plus, she forgets nothing. If I change a line and it somehow lessens the impact, she’ll let me know. Ultimately, it’s mutual trust that keeps me coming back. It’s not easy to hear someone say, ‘we need to cut this page,’ but I don’t mind hearing it from Lisa because she has only one goal: creating the best play possible.”
I watched how carefully and detailed the change of set for the son’s apartment was put together during intermission, by stagehands. Produced by Byron Coolie. Mark Mendelson (Set & Lighting Design), Megan Trepani-Diven (Prop Design), and Rachel Ann Manheimer (Production Stage Manager). The rest of the production team includes Christopher Moscatiello (Sound Design), Grant Gerrad (Technical Director), and Ivan Rivas (Assistant Director).
My Son the Playwright opened on Saturday, January 24 and runs at 8pm Fridays & Mondays; and at 5pm Saturdays & Sundays through March 1, 2026 (no performance on Monday Feb. 9) at Rogue Machine, at the Matrix Theatre (upstairs on the intimate Henry Murray Stage (which is only accessible by stairs), 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets are $45, Seniors: $35; Saturdays are $60, Seniors $45; Students with ID: $25. Shows4Less on Fridays, Feb. 6 ($20+), Feb. 13 ($20+) Feb. 20 ($25+).
The run time is 90 minutes with one 15 minutes intermission.
Please note: Adult content, discussion of suicide – suggested age 16+
For more information call 855-585-5185, or go to: https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/