Eric Pinder wrote and stars in Uncertainty, in which he goes back in time to give advice to his younger self, Blake (Clark Levi). Clark has an uncanny similarity in appearance to Eric and he manages to mimic Erics every Mannerism. Blake’s demanding mother (Jessica Hoehn) is determined to see her son go to Princeton to become a lawyer but he has more artistic ambitions. The house lights flashed as Pinder returned to his past to confront his younger self in his 1960s tie die shirt. His first advice to himself was to moisturize his skin. Of course Blake doesn’t believe he is speaking to himself so Pinder had to convince him by remembering very specific events form his past.
In a very convincing scene, Blake confides in a boy friend that he is attracted to him. The feeling is mutual and there is nothing quite like seeing young love bloom. When his mom finds out he is gay, she is confused. It doesn’t fit into her grand plan for her son. There is a lovely scene in which her husband comforts her and the love between the married couple feels tangible. That level of affection used to seem unreal but I’m starting to appreciate it. The mom as the antagonist was on stage for only brief moments, yet she must have been a huge influence on young Blake. Why did she project so many ambitions on her son?
At on half hour, the show flew by leaving me wanting more. I barely had time to get my tiny sketch on the page. I imagine that going into your past could be useful, but the only tangible message seemed to be to stay true to yourself. The visit from the future must have prompted the ability to come out to his parents. Hiding who you are must have lasting future repercussions, but they were never discussed in the play. Friends and family accepted him for who he was. Most already knew.