Extinction, presented by Red Dog Squadron, opens Nov. 21; plays Fri.-Sat., 8 pm; Sun., 7 pm; through Dec. 13. Tickets: $18. Elephant Space, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. 323.960.7784 or plays411.com/extinction

There comes a point in everyone’s life when one realizes it’s time to grow up and move on. Of course, there are always those who never have this realization and turn into, well, “douche-bags” - to put it colorfully. This threshold is where old college buddies Finn and Max currently stand, on opposing sides, as they meet up for their yearly Atlantic City weekend of booze, women and typical male douche-baggery. A darker, more complex side to male camaraderie and evolution is explored in Red Dog Squadron’s world premiere production of Extinction by Gabe McKinley, directed by Wayne Kasserman.

James Roday

“Can two people grow together when they’re headed in opposite directions?” asks James Roday, co-founder of Red Dog Squadron and who stars as Finn. The play illustrates “how two people can grow apart without even realizing that it’s happened.” This is due to “secrets we keep because we don’t know how to tell people what they don’t want to hear,” says Roday.

This play is interesting because it’s two guys who are grappling with these issues. “Everything is so much more suppressed when it comes to male friendships because there are things you’re not supposed to talk about. You’re not supposed to feel things and you’re not supposed to say, ‘Hey dude, I’m really having some problems with you. Can we sit down and talk about it?’ That’s not really the cool thing to do when you’re guys,” he admits.

“I think we’re trying to deconstruct that,” he continues. It’s really an insight into the world of male friendship. “And while it may look easy on the outside, on the inside it’s really complicated.”

He describes Finn as “a guy who is trying to evolve. He’s spinning his wheels in life and feels it closing in. He’s gotten his wake-up call and is very much proactive in trying to take the next step. Conversely, Max is very rooted in everything they used to know to be true; that’s the juxtaposition. That’s where the trouble starts.”

Roday says this play won’t alienate women; in fact, most will find it a perceptive look into the male psyche. “I think women are fascinated by men, the same way men are fascinated by women.” He says the play is really about friendship, which everyone can relate to.

The Atlantic City setting is both thematically and metaphorically poignant. The friends are staying in the Borgata Hotel, one of the swankiest hotel/casinos in Atlantic City. “It’s all about what’s underneath,” reveals Roday. There is “this slick sheen, a thin layer that’s covering up a lot of ugliness. Just by poking holes though it reveals the ugly, nasty shit underneath it.”

Roday founded Red Dog Squadron in 1999 with his friend Brad Raider. The two met while studying at the experimental theatre wing at NYU. Although they’ve been around for a while, the company hasn’t produced very much. Rather than doing “a show just for the sake of doing a show,” they’ve focused on searching for new, quality work. “It’s difficult when you want to do original work,” says Roday. “I think one reason why we started was I wanted to find new voices and put emerging playwrights on a platform.”

They really take time to search for “the gems and develop them.” He admits, “That little gem doesn’t come along with great regularity.” The shows they have done have been world premieres of really interesting plays that have been well received. The last play they did in Los Angeles was David Rock’s raucous World War I farce Grand Delusion. With that being period farce, Roday wanted their next piece to be completely different.

So was Extinction a polished gem when he found it? Not entirely. It was a graduate thesis play McKinley wrote at the New School in New York. “Since then, it’s come a long way. It’s very different,” tells Roday. “I think that comes from Gabe being incredibly open minded and collaborative; and willing to go places he may not have thought of before.”

Roday has known McKinley for years and saw great potential in the play. “Personally, it’s a very resonant look at dudes when they have to transition from their 20s to their 30s.” This transition, this moving forward, becomes a giant elephant in the room. “I think guys like to pretend it doesn’t exist. I think women, conversely, are hyper aware of it due to their biological clock.

“Meanwhile guys feel they have a free pass and can just keep rocking along. Any kind of evolution of character or morality is left behind. Then they wake up one day and they’re 50 with a nose ring and are that creepy guy at the bar.” He asks, “How do you end up there?” The transition from your 20s to your 30s is where evolution should take place.

“That’s this play in a bottle. One guy has moved on. And one is that guy who doesn’t want to look in the mirror and recognize those days are over. That chapter is over. That’s how life is. One ends and another begins.”

Roday is most recognized for his role as Shawn Spencer on the hit USA Network series Psych, about to enter its fourth season. “Psych was a godsend,” says Roday. “It’s been an opportunity to work with people I respect on material I thought was quality. And people have tuned in.” He adds, “That’s the holy-trinity that’s very rarely achieved. Especially in TV.”

He asserts it is the exception and not the norm. “You don’t know if it’s ever going to come together like that again. It’s important to recognize how lucky you are and be appreciative.”

What excites Roday the most about Extinction is the same thing that frightens him the most. “The whole rehearsal process to opening is a little over two weeks,” he reveals. His work on Psych has prevented rehearsals from starting earlier.

Michael Weston

However, he says, “It’s completely exhilarating in its intensity. You’ve got to stay sharp in order to rise to the challenge. And we have a very capable cast that’s ready to do it.” He’s known Michael Weston (of Fox’s House) who plays Max for years. “He is one of my dearest, closest friends and we haven’t had the opportunity to work together in quite some time and that’s pretty exciting as well.” Also in the cast are Amanda Detmer (from ABC’s Private Practice) and Stefanie E. Frame.

As for director Kasserman, Roday felt strongly that the director be the same age as the characters. He says, “I felt it was important to have a guy direct this play and to have someone who’s experiencing the themes now.”

Roday says the whole process has been “an open forum where everyone has a slightly different take but we’re all getting to the same place. I think we’re learning a great deal from each other. And there’s zero ego involved.”

After seeing the play, Roday hopes audiences think about how the themes apply to their own lives. “If you can watch it and feel compelled to not go home right away - to go grab a drink and not drive, of course; or go get a piece of pie with someone because what you’ve just seen, you’ve got to go talk about it. Then you’ve succeeded as an artist. Something you’ve done has resonated enough to make them think about it. And that’s always what you hope on a macro-scale.

“Specifically with this play, it would be great if some guys who watch it realize, ‘Hey, I need to stop being a douche-bag,’” he laughs. “And there are different types of douche-bags too: There’s the type that makes no apologies and there’s the wolf in sheep’s clothing. You’ve got to look out for both.”

Feature image of Weston and Roday by Wayne Kasserman

Article by Ashley Steed