“House of Gold” takes JonBenét story over the top
How dare a theater company, even an experimental theater company, mount an intentionally unnerving production about JonBenét Ramsey in Boulder? Is there anything about the unsolved murder that hasn’t already been said? Anything about sexualized little-girl beauty pageants that hasn’t already been examined and parodied? Is nothing sacred? Clearly, no, nothing.
But they’ve pulled it off. With “House of Gold,” playwright Gregory S. Moss has anticipated the audience’s revulsion and preconceptions — and taken it all over the top. Square Product Theatre and director Gleason Bauer make the bizarre piece oddly relevant.
Moss’ disturbing “House of Gold” has been around since 2010 but was
never before performed at JonBenét’s real-life ground zero. The story is presented as an allegory about childhood trauma, white privilege and celebrity. Knowledge of the actual case gets in the way at times, encouraging the audience to fill in details where the play is better viewed as an absurdist tragicomedy.
Sure, we expected a portrayal of a deranged mother living vicariously through her beautiful sixyear-old daughter. We weren’t surprised by the depiction of that mother writing crazy ransom notes. But among the things we didn’t see coming were the Greek chorus of sculpted young men in gold lamé trunks, representing white privilege. Or the conversation between JonBenét and the coroner/ detective during her autopsy.
Many of the well-known aspects of the case are never referenced, and it’s just as well. This is an evocative piece of performance art, not a documentary, of which there have been too many already. There are a couple of knocks on Boulder, however, which land well.
The opening image, the Man (Andrew Horsford) at breakfast reading a tabloid paper with JonBenét on the cover, sets the tone. We remain mesmerized by the horrific story; she is with us still. Anyone who lived through the murder and media sensation that followed would be forgiven for wanting to steer clear of one more exploitative riff on the wealthy family’s tragedy. But there is enough thoughtful commentary here to elevate the proceedings, enough intriguing experimental devices (including live video projections) to make for a compelling production.
Smart casting helps. Emily K. Harrison is fascinating as the objectified JonBenét, embodying the 6-
HOUSE OF GOLD ★★★
By Gregory S. Moss. Directed and designed by Gleason Bauer, produced by Emily K. Harrison. With Harrison, Andrew Horsford, Michelle Moore, Alexis Cooley. Presented by Square Product Theatre through Aug. 12 in the ATLAS Black Box Theater in the Roser ATLAS Center on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Tickets at squareproducttheatre.org
year-old’s innocence and antsy energy along with her rote need to be desirable to grownups. When she confesses to bed-wetting, she grabs your heart no less viscerally than the coroner does during the autopsy.
Michelle Moore as her mother, identified simply as the Woman, depicts the former beauty queen’s obsession with pageantry and with making other housewives jealous. She is living vicariously through her daughter’s experience — and flawless young white skin — and Moore gives her humanity while playing her as sadly unhinged.
Race plays a tricky part, not least in the casting of a woman to play Jasper, the white boy who thinks he’s black. All sorts of stereotypes shake loose as Alexis Cooley portrays the boxing, Afro-wearing, Muhammed Ali — and Richard Pryor-worshipping boy. Jasper is bullied by the chiseled white guys, has a crush on JonBenét and serves as a comic foil all at the same time.
Andy Seracuse is effectively creepy as the pederast Joe, who beckons JonBenét into his play-world.
The 90-minute one-act play is a surreal ride that’s surprisingly effective and even profound at times, finding more in the story than mere titillation.