Play of the Week: April 7, 2008: CHICKEN

Chicken by Mike Batistick

Looking for a play with a dark side? Humor with an edge to it? Even if you are, Batistick’s “Chicken” may compel you to turn on your flashlights, start a bonfire, and set off the signal flares to keep from getting lost in its murky depths.

To describe "Chicken" as a play about cockfighting is much more than the easy explanation it may seem to be. Wendell and Floyd are lifelong friends who live in a Bronx apartment so cluttered with piles of junk it seems like an endless forest. Behind every moment lies the promise of locating a long-lost set of near-mythic blades, known as Mexican short knives, which would provide an edge for the finder and his rooster.

The characters themselves seem to have been plunked in this situation as a cosmic joke designed for the amusement of cruel gods. Despite their long history, once it's revealed just how much they've taken from one other, it's clear that their relationship is as brutal as any cockfight they've ever seen or participated in.

Cast: 4 M, 2 W.

Scenes/Monologues: Great scenes for men and women with one good monologue for a man.

Recommended by: Hans

Order Chicken by Mike Batistick Now! Acting Edition: $7.50