Neil LaBute's trilogy of short plays, "Bash", has just been published in paperback; until now they have been relatively inaccessible to the average reader (one appeared in SUNSTONE.) It's hard to judge a play from just the text. The actors bring out humanity in characters that might not be obvious at first in cold print. We will have to wait for the cable channel Showtime to televise its production of "Bash" later this year to really gauge its impact. But these theatrical pieces on the page have their own effect.

This book lacks an informative introduction by LaBute like those in the published screenplays of his films. That's a shame, because work as controversial as his can create misunderstandings. For instance, last weekend I finally saw Kevin Smith's Catholic movie farce "Dogma." It's hilarious if you have a high tolerance for colorful language. It does have a core of genuine religious feeling. Nevertheless it brought down the wrath of conservative catholics who questioned Smith's loyalty (he says he is a faithful member of his church.) A similar question can be asked about "Bash": how does LaBute handle distinctively LDS themes?

Two of the titles of this trilogy refer to Greek tragedy : "Iphigenia in Orem" and "Medea Redux". The first is a monologue by a young businessman from that Utah city who is staying in a Las Vegas hotel room. He tells his story to an unseen stranger; as he reveals his tale, a creeping sense of horror unfolds. This could be considered a companion piece to his great "In the Company of Men", except the evil involved is even greater. Indeed, each of the plays climaxes with a murder; the book edition is dedicated "for emma, chet, and billie", the names of the victims. The nameless young businessman describes his conventionally Mormon background and it feels eerie to read about "the U" and "the Y" and "relief society" and a "mission" in this context. "Iphigenia" has the nasty sting of an O. Henry story suddenly turned lethal. The penultimate line, the cliche "be good to your kids, there's nothing like 'em in the world, believe me" has never sounded so sinister.

The middle play, "A Gaggle of Saints", involves John and Sue, part of a group of young Mormons from New England who visit New York City for a party.

While in Central Park after dark, away from their women, John and two of his friends encounter a gay male couple and beat one of them to death in a restroom. The savagery of John and the obliviousness of Sue mark this as similar to "Your Friends and Neighbors": we get a glimpse of a fearful reality behind the smiles.

The final play, "Medea Redux", is another monologue, this time by a rural young woman who is seduced by her junior high school teacher. It has the thinnest connection to Latter-day sainthood (she apparently is not LDS, but lives for a time with "Mormon relatives in Utah.) The affair has tragic consequences that can be guessed from the play's title.

So how does "Bash" stack up as "Mormon literature?" My first reaction is: do I really know these people? This is the first thing by LaBute that I've encountered that specifically identify his characters as Mormons, but ironically I see more familiar LDS stuff in his earlier work. The ruthlessly competitive guys with short hair and white shirts and ties of "In the Company of Men" reminded me of the unpleasantly political, unspiritual events on my mission. LaBute knows male one-upmanship like no writer since David Mamet. One of the married couples of "Your Friends and Neighbors" could be a dysfunctional relationship that could be found at BYU: they hurt each other out of timidity and sheer inexperience. There is a certain saving compassion in these films. Conversely, the guy in "Iphigenia in Orem" turns out to be a patriarchal monster in sheep's clothing. He may in fact sit next to me in sacrament meeting, but does this feel a little forced? The Greeks said character is destiny, and in "Medea", victimization begets violence. But this is the human condition that Mormons share with everyone else. Is murderous homophobia confined to Latter-day Saints? Are we predisposed to self-righteousness and destructiveness because of Mormon culture?

LaBute has been called the next Stanley Kubrick because of his mordant wit and piercing, all-seeing eye. Maybe I'm just uncomfortable when that eyed is turned on my friends and neighbors. These plays are very well written,

I greatly admire the art of "Bash." I'm just not sure how much I like it.

R.W. Rasband
Heber City, UT
rrasband@hotmail.com