Is any publicity good publicity?
With the announcement of the satire “Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas”, running at the Geffen Playhouse in L.A., it’s easy to feel that the species needed saving was chosen based on its potential for comic value, with a portrayal based more on comic exploitation than accuracy.
However, I choose not to suspect offense, intended or otherwise. I laugh at my alpacas every day. Surely I shouldn’t begrudge anyone else the enjoyment, especially when the star of the production, Matthew Modine, has obviously accepted the typecasting of himself as a previous A-list actor desperate to regain the spotlight. He must have a pretty good sense of humor about himself.
So I’ll opt to do the same. After all, if people are going to pay $40 to $60 to see a play about saving alpacas, it can’t be all bad, can it?
The play also stars Peri Gilpin and French Stewart and runs September 8 through October 18, 2009.
