Hunter Gatherers
BareBones goes primal with dinner party play
The BareBones Ensemble Theatre is once again taking the stage and this time with Ben Richgruber in the director’s seat. As usual, there will be plenty of opportunity to bust a gut laughing, but how about adding a little darkness to that laugh? Hunter Gatherers is a dark satirical comedy written by San Francisco-based playwright Peter Nachtrieb, who dares the audience to face the binary of Primitive vs. Civilized. In their mid-30s, the characters are beginning to reassess their lives, reflecting on their past and contemplating their futures. It’s an annual dinner party between two couples, though not your run-of-the-mill meal, by any means. Between an animal sacrifice, sex, violence, deception, wrestling, and dancing, you can bet there will be no easy path for the characters as they battle the night leaving the audience in fits of laughter. It’s a show that deals with the gamut of life’s downers and the tough gut decisions we all must make – things anyone can relate to. “By the end of the show – as far out as the characters may be – you really feel for them,” says Richgruber, who’s also executive director for Eau Claire Regional Arts Center. So in the true spirit of the show, go with your gut … which should tell you this is going to be one heck of a show.
