The madness in the axiom “the show must go on,” is apparent to anyone that has attempted to mount a live production, much less anything in a community theatre. In the film Et Tu, Brent (Lou Diamond Phillips) is the director of a small-town production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar who is having a devil of a time with it. The production is plagued by nepotism, jealousy, romantic complications, murder, and worst of all, overacting. Will Brent be able to fix the production? Written and directed by Max Tzannes, Et Tu is a love letter to anyone that has survived live theatre from either side of the curtain mixed with a psycho-thriller mystery constructed to keep you guessing to the last. It works, mostly. Despite pacing issues, the film is a fun, blood soaked thriller.
Let’s be clear, things are not going well with the show. While Brent directs this troupe of eager actors through complicated verse, he begins to suspect that the leading man Marcus (Brennan Keel Cook) is having an affair with his stage manager and wife, Nadine (Rachel Alig.) Meanwhile, Marcus’s understudy Terrance (Antwone Barnes,) makes it known that he will do anything to take the lead role over permanently. Then there is the matter of the mixed up props. Prop master, Vickey (Jaclyn Mofid,) is doing her best to keep track of the regular dagger and the retractable dagger. Opening night has long since passed three weeks earlier and the show is still a work in progress. Something must be done.That’s when the bodies begin to pile up in a dressing room or dangling in the flies over the stage.
Like a blood soaked version of Noises Off there are misplaced props, romantic misunderstandings, and the mounting chaos of one mishap after the other. But this instead of madcap farce, we have dark humor and intrigue with a hint of slasher. As Brent works tirelessly to glean effective performances from his cast the problems just continue to mount. Occasionally The Janitor (Malcolm McDowell) pops in to mop up the stage and anything else that might need cleaning. A sort of mysterious sage, the janitor offers a listening ear and a devious perspective on what should be done. Totally not suss.
There is a final curtain, and it’s worth the journey. The ensemble is a collection of particularly promising performers with Barnes as a standout. His confused but determined, eager but earnest Terrance works well. I was crazy about Lanelle Scott‘s portrayal of Stage Manager Susan, who seemed to be the only grounded human in the lot. Too, Alig’s Nadine was an engaging character to watch. The film, however, belongs to McDowell and Phillips. I couldn’t get enough of the scenes between an oddball janitor and the frazzled director. These are two actors that know their strengths. Thankfully, Director Tzannes knew how to capture their work.
Et Tu was a fun watch, but I honestly wish that the pacing had more, I don’t know, definition. There are scenes that call for suspense and tension. There are sequences that demand glib editing and quips. The film has a rough time with changes in momentum to adjust for the scene. Things still work, but if there was a just a little more focus on timing…
Despite minor misgivings, Et Tu is a darkly comical look at theatre. The show must, in fact, go on and despite dripping blood, a cutthroat cast, a murderous crew, this production is worth watching.
