The Poughkeepsie Porn Co. is the latest comedy offering from Sacramento's longtime gay community theater company Lambda Players. 

The Poughkeepsie Porn Co. has fallen on hard times. They haven’t had a hit video in 10 years and will be out of business if they don’t have a big seller soon. Fast-talking promoter Jack Mehoff shows up unexpectedly promoting a savior for the company. This is Tor: Scandinavian, handsome, great body, sexy accent and an interesting past.

Dildo Faggins (Lance Navarro) left, and Steve, Just Steve (James W. Geisdorf) right, check out the new talent, Tor (Clint Vigen) center

Having a sexy new star is not enough. They need a hook. Jack works with PPCo’s manager, director, camera man, casting agent — well, everything except owner or actor — Herbie Handcock to come up with famous gays in history for plots.

Jack also brings PPCo’s production and marketing into the 21st century. These guys were still working in VHS! The Poughkeepsie Porn Co. suddenly has hits on their hands and is moving to be a $1 million company.

In walks Dick Dastardly, a plant from a edgier rival company, stealing scripts and set on delaying productions so the rival company can get theirs out first.

Dastardly’s delaying involves each of the characters talking about how they got into the gay porn business. The stories are funny and in most it involves it was the easiest way to pay the rent etc.

The play is written by Lambda Players Matthew Burlingame and Tom Swanner and directed by Burlingame. The premise allows for some very funny porn film titles. The comedy probably is not a very realistic portrayal of gay porn film production. (I actually don’t have much knowledge about actual gay porn film production.)

Longtime Lambda Players actor Brian Judd guest stars as Jack Mehoff with suitable bravado. He has the right balance of caring about his client, Tor, while exploiting him.

Michael Hedges’ Herbie Handcock is sweet, lovable and a little innocent for having worked in the porn industry for years.

Herbie Handcock (Michael Hedges) right learns that Tor (Clint Vigen) likes him.

Dick Dastardly is portrayed by Christian St. Croix with the right mix of nastiness, cunning and ineptness.

Christian St. Croix as Dick Dastardly

Tor is played by another Lambda Players veteran, Clint Vigen. Vigen, while having all the right assets, also gives Tor a little more complexity than the other PPCo’s “talent.” He also has a great accent.

The rest of the "talent” is played by James W. Geisdorf as Steve, Just Steve; Eric Jon Cadwell, understudy Thursday night as Dildo Faggins; and Alan Smithee as Harry Squatter.

James W. Geisdorf as Steve, Just Steve

Dildo Faggins is played most nights by Lance Navarro, an actual gay porn star who has appeared with Raging Stallion and Hot House Studios productions. Navarro has a background in conventional theater, recently appearing as Sam Craig in “Our Town” at the Harbor Theater in Suisun City.

Oh, and did I say that there is full frontal nudity? It is not gratuitous and it would feel pretty artificial with folks not running around naked in a play about porn production. This is not a first for Lambda Players, and like in earlier productions with nudity, it fits with the play. Lambda Player also knows that this is a tough time for community theater, and nudity does help fill its seats.

For a end-of-summer evening of slapstick, camaraderie and naughtiness in Midtown, check out Lambda Players’ "Poughkeepsie Porn Co." The boys don’t bite, but they will have you laughing. Bonus: A gay porn DVD is raffled off at every show, and all props donated by Suzie’s Adult Superstores will be auctioned off at the last show on Sept. 25.

"Poughkeepsie Porn Co."
Lambda Players
Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through Sept. 25
Tickets are $15
21st & L Street Theatre
1127 21st St.
(916) 444-8229