Theatre Exile is venturing into some dark subject matter with the Philadelphia premiere of “The Whale,” through March 1 at Studio X.
Written by American playwright Samuel D. Hunter, “The Whale” is the story of Charlie, who lives on the outskirts of Mormon country and is consumed by despair after losing his partner. His grief has led him into a downward spiral of isolation and inactivity that has caused him to become couch-ridden and his weight to swell up to 600 pounds. He spends his days in his tiny apartment tutoring students online, watching gay porn and eating himself to death.
Scott Greer, who plays Charlie, performs in a custom-made fat suit for the role.
He said performing under such circumstances takes a considerable amount of practice.
“I’m still getting used to it,” he said. “The production team was great. They had the major part of the suit done before rehearsal so I was able to start working in it right away. It’s a big adjustment. It’s like working a puppet from the inside out. So much of it isn’t you. It’s very heavy so, for working in it for a couple of hours, you start to feel it. His health is very bad and it’s very much a part of the play. He has trouble breathing and that has been a challenge as well, to replicate that and to be sick all the time on stage.”
Greer said that while Charlie’s story has some darkly comic moments, the production is not playing his predicament for cheap laughs.
“It is, structurally speaking, a tragedy,” the actor said. “It’s about the demise of the protagonist. It is told with humor and it isn’t full-on terror. So I guess drama is the best way to describe it. I feel like the characters are all so well-drawn and vivid. I don’t know anyone who weighs 600 pounds but it’s not an episode of ‘My 600-Pound Life.’ It’s full of full-frontal humanity. I don’t think there is much of a line to walk. The extremity of these characters drew me to the play. It’s such a well-drawn character and such a complete world that it is not exploitative at all.”
The few people in Charlie’s life include Liz, his best friend, and his estranged daughter and ex-wife, whom he unexpectedly tries to reconnect with, despite the obstacles in his life.
“I think he is in this situation because of the loss of his partner,” Greer said. “He was always big and it got out of control. After his partner died, he let go of what little restraint he had left in him. His only friend and enabler is Liz, who is the sister of his deceased partner. Charlie is the only friend she has so she checks on him every day and brings him food. They obviously have a fraught relationship. They need each other very badly. This person they both loved is now gone and that is a bond that they share that they would have with no one else. There’s a lot of symbiosis there. Other people come into his life by accident. He reaches out to his daughter and his ex-wife but most of his life is spent online teaching classes.”
Despite the emotionally dark territory of the play, Greer said there are positive messages.
“It’s definitely about outliers and outcasts in a community,” he said. “I think Charlie’s isolation is emotional and I can’t help but think if he wasn’t in small-town Idaho, his life might have been different. If he had left his wife and child and moved to a big city where there were a lot more gay people and a lot fewer religious conservatives, he might have found a community beyond his dead partner’s sister. The show is ultimately about compassion. Charlie is a very sweet, positive guy. He sort of refuses to be mean to anyone and in the end it’s uplifting in a way. It is not without sadness but it’s a very ‘hope for humanity’ type of play.”
Theatre Exile presents “The Whale” through March 1 at Studio X, 1340 S. 13th St. For more information or tickets, call 215-218-4022 or visit www.theatreexile.org.