John Pollono's Small Engine Repair, now in its world-premiere run at Rogue Machine, is a taut, gritty drama about three working-class guys who grew up together in Manchester, New Hampshire -- a city they derisively call Manch-Vegas for its lack of glitz and glamor.
The three of them, friends from childhood, still hang out together in the small, junk-filled engine repair shop (realistic set by David Mauer) owned by their leader, Frank (well-acted by the playwright). His followers are Packie (Michael Redfield), a dim, permanently-unemployed loser, and Swaino (Donnie Smith), a brash-talking, always-on-the-make kind of guy. Their banter is rough and angry, full of wisecracks and profanity.
The macho posturing quickly gets to be tiresome, as does their binge drinking and doping. But just when I was about to dismiss Small Engine Repair as a dreary caricature of blue-collar life, Pollono brought in a new character, Chad (Josh Helman), a snotty, drug-dealing college kid. His presence was pivotal to the play and gave it a different and deeper dimension. What had been a talk-fest now became a drama, a ferocious battle between rich and poor, privilege and alienation. The cast cast perform admirably, helped no doubt by Andrew Block's expert direction.
