Temper

Actor Kira Rascher’s life changes forever when she takes a leading role in Temper, a play put on by Chicago’s Indifferent Honest Theater Company, in Fargo’s page-turning debut. Kira is thrilled at the prospect of working with the famous director and actor Malcolm “Mal” Mercer. But she’s not prepared for his toxic coaching techniques, which happen to include inviting her abusive ex-boyfriend to rehearsal to help Kira tap into her darkest emotions and deliver them on stage. Despite this experience and warnings from other actors and her roommate and stunt coordinator, Kira is convinced she can handle Mal. As she slips deeper into Mal’s world, Kira becomes desperate for his approval and starts to lose control of herself, even hitting him while rehearsing a fight scene. The tension rises as the narration alternates between Kira and the company’s executive director, Joanna Cuyler, who’s desperate for Mal’s affection and views Kira as a threat. This intense psychological thriller builds to a devastating, if somewhat inevitable, climax. Fargo is definitely a writer to watch. [em]Agent: Sharon Pelletier, Dystel, Goderich, & Bourett. (July) [/em]