Sean Szak Prasso’s Angel in the Heat Sizzles at the ATA
Blake Jean (Travis Bergmann) is on the cusp of success. The Louisville Kentucky attorney is a candidate for mayor, and about to buy a house with his wife Charlotte (Amanda Stamm). They appear to have the perfect mid-20th century life, but then a news announcement comes over the old-fashioned radio, literally (and very symbolically) interrupting the feel-good 1950s tunes emanating from it. Dixie Campbell (Annie Unger), a 17-year-old in prison for murder, is on the loose. Blake had been involved in the trial that put her there, and we soon learn that their relationship went far beyond the professional…
Written and directed by Sean Szak Prasso, Angel in the Heat is a compelling 90 minutes of theatre; its theme, writing, and setting wonderfully evoking the classics of the past. The cast practically sings the dialogue, their well-defined characters bringing the provocative story to dazzling life. Unger makes Dixie a sinister but irresistible presence, a forbidden fruit that Blake can hardly resist even while knowing it will likely lead to personal and professional ruin. Dixie returns to Blake’s life like an unexpected tornado. You can almost see his tidy conservative home turn upside down as she re-asserts her presence in his life, dancing to the radio in her undergarments; she cheerfully puts up decorations for his upcoming party, even as she plots to seduce him and destroy him if he resists. You can literally feel Blake’s heart pounding as he tries to find a way to get Dixie her freedom while saving his reputation; the trouble is, Dixie doesn’t want a new life unless Blake comes with it.
Bergmann conveys his character’s dilemma deftly, his desperation and desire palpable and believable as we see his mind (and his pulse) racing, trying to find a way out of a situation that he is quickly losing control of. Stamm is the picture of tragedy, as the already unwell Charlotte watches her idyllic life crumble. The look of utter horror as she watches the duplicitous Dixie straddle her husband and kiss him right in front of her will stay burned in your memory.
Dustin Pazar excels as Chase Collins, a chain-smoking cowboy hat and boot-wearing picture of masculinity whose unexpected encounter and heart-to-heart talk with the beguiling Dixie leads to a whispered scheme that threatens to take Blake down while getting Dixie exactly what she wants. Amy Losi is a scene-stealer as Deborah, an older neighbor decked out in 50s finery. During a café chat with Blake, Deborah plays detective, noticing that he’s bought a dress that is clearly not his wife’s size, and elevating the mayoral candidate’s paranoia to an eleven.
Angel in the Heat is a must-see theatrical powerhouse that is destined to be viewed as one of the modern greats while perfectly evoking the atmosphere, themes, and styles of the mid-20th Century. It is performed at the Beckman Theatre at the American Theatre of Actors through June 29, 2025.
Content Warning: Sexually suggestive and violent themes. Use of flashing lights (not a strobe)
Arts Independent 