When you discover that there is actually a word for a feeling that has seemed so singular, it can be a very special aha moment. That a word like, just for example, "homosexual" can be found in a dictionary means that enough other people have shared a feeling that it warrants official recognition. The Messrs. Mirriam and Webster want you to know that you are not alone.
Adolescence is filled with all sorts of aha moments, but those who don't see themselves in the society they inhabit are likely to have especially vivid versions of such moments. Like the 16-year-old boys in Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them who have gone from study buddies in pre-calculus class to something more. The notably nerdy Benji excitedly flips through a dictionary's pages to show Kenny that their activities have real names like "fellatio" and "frottage." There is no judgment in these words, says Benji, they are just a fact.
A. Rey Pamatmat's play, in Crowed Fire's production at Thick House, is an unusual coming-of-age story with its characters largely free of adult guidance and authority. Kenny and his 12-year-old sister Edith have been taking care of themselves at a remote farmhouse following the death of their mother and intermittent abandonment by their father. They know they have to keep up appearances of some familial normalcy if they are to avoid social service intervention, with Kenny making sure they both get to school and Edith assuming guard duty with her BB gun. The duo becomes a trio when Benji arrives after being kicked out of his own home when his parents discover a love letter and a mix tape (it's the 1990s) intended for Kenny.
There is a low-key charm to Pamatmat's examination of three young lives as they learn both easy and hard-won truths. There is also considerable humor that flows as this trio stumbles forward and their inexperience collides with an often-misplaced self-confidence. This all comes to a head at the first-act curtain in an event that the play's title signals, and the second act loses some of the preceding act's focus. Unlikely convolutions are required to nuzzle the play toward a happy ending that isn't particularly satisfying because of the mechanics involved.
Desdemona Chiang's unhurried staging provides a tender entry into this adult-free world, and also gives the actors a chance to establish their characters in small but delicate strokes. Wes Gabrillo effectively blends a stalwart man-of-the-house demeanor with inevitably arising juvenile intensities. As Edith, Nicole Javier captures the savvy character's tomboy edge and can often make us believe she really is just 12 years old. Maro Guevara is delightful as the bookish Benji, whose libido is unleashed as long as it has scientific documentation.
As Bogart tells Bergman in Casablanca that "we'll always have Paris," Benji writes to Kenny after they've been separated that "we'll always have pre-calc."
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them will run at Thick House through March 21. Tickets are $10-$35. Call (415) 746-9238 or go to crowdedfire.org.