Ambitions and egos are fodder for Black Box Theater comedy

The play by noted screenwriter, playwright and film director Neil LaBute, is about “how performers get too full of themselves and big headed, but we as the audience allow them to do it,” said Scott Cavin, who directs the CSC production.

The show features Molly Thornton of Riverton, Wyoming, as Karen, and Nathan Wojciechowski of Minatare, as Steve, the two screen idols who are convinced that recording a live sex scene together will restore their fading movie star luster. They must persuade their respective partners, Karen’s girlfriend Bev (Asia Carr, of Lusk, Wyoming) and Steve’s much younger wife Missy (Tavia Passero of Chadron) of the merits of the plan, however, on the day before the filming.

As one can imagine, the meeting in Karen’s Hollywood hills home, described by New York Times critic Ben Brantley as a situation comedy “based on a single dumb movie star joke,” doesn’t go well, and moves from increasingly nasty verbal exchanges to a physical confrontation, choreographed with authentic wrestling moves by Wacey Gallegos of Ainsworth.

While laden with humor, mostly at the expense of the somewhat clueless and highly-ego driven characters, the play touches on deeper themes as well, said Cavin.

“It’s about driving ambition, staying on top, remaining on the A-list,” he said. “Hollywood just happens to be the setting, but it could take place in any setting.”

See “Behind the Scenes” interviews with the actors on the CSC Theatre department's Web page.

The play is recommended for mature audiences only, because of the strong language and sexual themes, said Cavin, who also designed the set and lighting for the Black Box stage.

Performances of “The Money Shot” are in the Black Box Theater Nov. 19, 20, and 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. Contact the Box Office for tickets at 308-432-6207 or boxoffice@csc.edu. Box Office hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 6 p.m. Performance Days from 5 p.m. to Curtain.