Based on a Totally True Story, at MTC's Stage II
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's Based on a Totally True Story is a delightful comedy that skips along like a stone on the surface of a lake, only without sinking. The material, introduced in a rush, seems very unpromising in summary: two boys meet cute and move in together, but trouble starts when an unproduced play written by one of the duo is optioned by Hollywood. The playwright all but locks himself in his room, rewriting his script according to the producer's endless (and belittling) changes. The other boy quite naturally comes to feel uncared for. Even if I haven't actually seen a play with this plot, I've seen plenty like it. But the rushed introduction is a key to the play's success. By speeding up the action with standup comedy and playing it for laughs, Mr Aguirre-Sacasa makes his story new and interesting.
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