Playwright Michael McLeod explores the cult of celebrity in his new play The Good For Nothings in an inventive and thought-provoking way. The story is told in a non-linear fashion, weaving past and present, fiction and “reality” in a manner that suggests those “making of” or “outtake” bonuses in movies. Cassidy Black (Sj Jones) is a star-in-the-making who comes close to losing it all after she kills a fellow starlet in a drug-fuelled traffic accident. She’s offered a chance to climb back to the top by a shadowy group with dark purposes. McLeod nails the Hollywood zeitgeist, from the ubiquitous paparazzi to the vacuous hype. (“Who are you wearing?) Sj Jones is perfect as the confused and wounded Cassidy who can flash a megawatt smile with the flip of switch and actor Michael Gaty transforms himself to multiple roles (starlet (!), interviewer, radical…) like a chameleon. Unlike this season’s latest blockbusters, this show is entertaining, disturbing and provocative.
This article appears in Aug 15-21, 2013.
