nytheatre Archive
FringeNYC 2003
SHOW REVIEWS ON THIS PAGE: Faint, The Birth, Adoption and Death of Dorothy Dutchess, Loud, Acts of Contrition, Eva, The Fisherman and His Soul, Becky and Noelle: Investigating the Bucket, Kowtow Rapsody, Civil Liberties - An Avant-Garde Musical, Mo(u)rning, Eastwest, Red Head
|
FAINT by Spencer Chandler |
|---|
|
Faint, a new play written and directed by Eric Sanders, employs
an unconventional plot with a floating, open narrative. Centered loosely
on Jeromy, a young man whose parents have died and left him sole
proprietor of the family circus, Faint. introduces us early to
Jeromy's grandparents and a Native American sideshow performer named
Flying Jade. Soon into the story however, Jeromy's girlfriend Crocus is
diagnosed with cancer, and after a frenetic, almost vaudevillian
hospital scene, suddenly dies. This twist gives way to a subplot
involving a mortician and his father in flashback, who also dies of
cancer. In succession, one character after another suffers an untimely
demise, either by cancer or an accidental scourge of smallpox. The
remaining bulk of the intermissionless play consists of various scenes
involving a local scientist, his wife and young son, and the
complications and interrelationships that emerge amongst the disparate
characters. Yet despite a halting scene-to-scene progression and uneven
tone, Faint ultimately manages to move and affect, thanks to
writing of surprising depth and an altogether fine cast. Michael Alperin quietly inhabits Jeromy with a low-key naturalism. Robert Salas as Flying Jade has a rich physical and vocal presence, and his scenes with charming pre-adolescent Gary Zhuravenko warm nicely as the play progresses. Devon Berkshire is fine though underused as Jeromy's girlfriend, with Elie Finkelstein and an exceedingly skilled Jess Osuna both grounded and touching as Jeromy's grandparents. The gifted Joseph Small goes straight over the top with the high-wired role of the scientist, and with Severin Anne Mason (pleasantly handling his wife) serves up some of the more openly satirical scenes. Robert Funaro and Ernest Mingione beautifully inhabit their characters of the mortician and his father with fullness and ease. Ron Palais, as Jeromy's lawyer, blossoms later in the play, when his character's writing kicks in. Faint has quirks and charms and haunting absurdities ("You just ruined the world, Jake!" screams the scientist to his young son, who has unwittingly passed a smallpox-infested blanket to the non-vaccinated Native American). As his characters come to be diagnosed casually with rapidly progressing diseases, the play manages to touch many nerves, especially in the nuanced ways characters speak of their expiring health and fading dreams. "We live our lives between moments of grief," says Grandpa near the end of the play. A lasting profundity lies at the heart of Faint which, under different direction and with some dramaturgical restraint, could well leap out and grab an audience with great force. Sanders has a rich imagination and a good ear for dialogue, and is in equally good company with an undeniably capable cast. I would be very interested to see them develop further, reaching their noble theatrical goals with even greater accuracy. |
|
THE BIRTH, ADOPTION AND DEATH OF DOROTHY DUTCHESS by Jayne Napier |
An extremely talented cast has committed 100
percent to some of the most clever, stylized, and sophomoric material
I’ve ever seen. The Birth, Adoption and Death of Dorothy Dutchess,
written by Brian Silliman, takes no prisoners. The energy of this
production starts at a ten and maintains its high-octane perverse
circus-like momentum for the duration of its 1 hour and 40 minute run. The title of the show tells you what the show is about, but don’t think for a second that it’s that simple. Lines like "Jesus hates a pussy!" and "Shut up you fat bitch!" (said to a pregnant woman) give you some idea of how unapologetically politically incorrect this show is. I’m quite certain that the lack of intermission is to keep people from walking out should they find the language and subject matter too shocking, but don’t misunderstand me, this is solid storytelling with a clear beginning, middle and end. But wait there’s more. The hijinks involved in The Birth, Adoption and Death… include: a slide whistle, pratfalls, lesbian sex, plot twists, murder, a solid toe-tapping musical closing, AND it has a message…sort of. It’s got it all, so definitely see it, but hold on, because it’s a jarring ride. |
| LOUD by Lee Ramsey |
|
According to the press release, Loud is "an in-your-face
electronic rock opera, a modern parable of internet courtship and
recreational bomb building, a funny, disturbed, and poignant look at our
misdirected attempts at gaining love and understanding...and how they
frequently can lead to disaster." The storyline is extremely clear and very innovative and the cast is for the most part quite talented. Clark Mims as Deborah, a 23 year old, single statutory rapist, and Jeffrey Forte as Ray, a recently dumped factory worker who's looking for love, are the standouts. Their song "Public Place, Proof of I.D." was the highlight of the show for me. The plot is very intricate and well-constructed, if a bit long at 105 minutes (it bogs down a bit in the middle) but Loud is well on its way to becoming a really interesting and enjoyable new musical. The production would benefit from stronger direction. Peter Flint's staging is weak and a bit sloppy; the show has numerous unnecessary blackouts that stall the action. Loud could also use a good costume designer (there was no designer listed in the program and the costumes seemed a bit hit-or-miss). That said, this is a very enjoyable show, and I'd be very interested in seeing it in its future incarnations. |
|
ACTS OF CONTRITION by Kwesi Cameron |
|
Baseball stats, beers, burgers, and a couple of guys sitting
around talking at their vacation retreat. One of them looks and
acts like the clichéd jock. Nothing unusual about that. Except
the couple of guys happen to be priests. Timothy Nolan’s Acts of Contrition disarmed me at first before drawing me into its increasingly disturbing story. The vacation house setting where the characters also perform their duties as priests in some scenes puts a human face on the story. Tom, Joe, and Steve are three idealistic priests who have been friends since their seminary days. The three have dreams of changing the Catholic Church with a more enlightened ministry. Tom and Joe have arrived at their yearly vacation retreat to relax and have fun, but end up unsuccessfully trying to mask their frustration and anger at the third member of their trio who won’t be joining them this year. Tom has done some investigating and has found out that Steve has been "sent on a cruise," the priests’ euphemism for a priest who has been reassigned to another parish for alleged misconduct. Steve does finally show up, confused and seeking his friends’ help and understanding. As ugly secrets are revealed and the Cardinal repeats his mantra of "we keep each other’s secrets," suggesting the Church’s complicity, the priests are faced with life-changing decisions. Vincent Marano tightly directs the excellent ensemble of Acts of Contrition, though the device of having the Cardinal serve as the priests’ conscience was sometimes intrusive. Gene Fanning, as the Cardinal, does a fine job of making realistic a character who could very easily go over the top as a dark villain. Shiek Mahmud-Bey, last year’s FringeNYC Overall Excellence in Performance winner, has the equally daunting task of making the accused priest, Steve, sympathetic and does a great job. James M. Armstrong and Mark Gorman (as Tom and Joe, respectively) are also excellent. The wel1-designed spare and functional set is by Eric Everett. The issues in this timely, provocative play are testing the faith of Catholics as well as angering and confusing all of us. To the playwright’s credit he does not neatly tie up the play’s ends but leaves us with the sense that the questions will continue until there is change within the Church. |
| EVA by Anthony Pennino |
|
Don't go to Eva, TEMPORARY distortion's offering at this
year's FringeNYC, for an easy and fun night of theatre. The company's
operating principle seems to call for audience members to put their
intellects on hold and open up their individual consciousness to the
meditative and minimalist poetry that writer, director, and designer
Kenneth Sean Collins offers. Why Collins chooses to focus his company's
resources and energy on a piece in large part devoted to Eva Braun is,
however, a bit of a mystery. On one level, Eva largely succeeds. Going to this show is a bit like going to church. If you think it, then it all falls apart. But if you feel it, then you find yourself being carried by the inner harmony of the moment. And the moment Collins provides is often lyrical, elegiac, and a little disturbing. Not to say any of this makes it effortless for the audience. There is an old saying that it takes just as much art to be a good audience member as it does to be a theatre practitioner. Everyone walking into the Wollman Auditorium to see Eva will need to be a little in touch with his or her inner artist. Even if you think you're ready, you might not be. At the start, Stacey Bare and Lorraine Mattox—playing the two Evas (Braun and Hesse) —stand almost immobile in two neon-lit boxes. Bare and Mattox are excellent actresses who manage to create the world of the play while speaking in essentially a monotone. There is one aspect of this play that made it very difficult for me to "experience" the production in a more Zen-like state. It is about Eva Braun, Hitler's extremely dim-witted gouma. Collins and company go through a great many contortions to give Braun depth and perception—much more than she had in real life—but all of these efforts feel imposed and arbitrary. We really do not learn much about Braun. It seems as if TEMPORARY distortion picked a personage who would shock and stuffed her full of ideas that she never had. If they had picked Sylvia Plath, then she could just as easily have had the same lines. This decision keeps Eva earth-bound when it strives to take flight. |
|
THE FISHERMAN AND HIS SOUL by Sheila Lewandowski |
|
I am a sucker for a good story and The Fisherman and His Soul is
just that. The KyoRyuKan Theater Company from Japan, led by director
Peter Golightly, performs this adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s story with
heart. Three days prior to opening day the lead actor’s father passed away and he returned to Japan to be with his family. Had the director not told me after the show, I would not have guessed it from the performances. The director (slated to perform as the 2nd puppeteer) filled in as the Soul/Narrator and a brave actress, Sumi Sagami, threw herself into the roll of the 2nd Puppeteer. The story begins with the Fisherman (Adrian Jevick) netting the beautiful puppet mermaid (puppeteer Sachiko Miyata) and falling in love with her. She is unable to return his love as long as he keeps his human soul and so begins his quest to release his soul. This spiritual journey, testing the strength of love, brings him to a witch (also beautifully played by Sachiko Miyata, although it was at times difficult to understand her through her heavy accent) whose desire to be with him compels her to agree to help him release his soul if he dances with her under the full moon. The scenes between the Witch and the Fisherman are some of my favorites. The dancing, using classical Indian foot stomping, accompanied by live music (performed by Yasuko Imai and Dean Bland) is tense and exciting. The Fisherman uses a spell given to him by the witch to cast his soul away from his body. The soul returns to the shore where the Fisherman lives with his Mermaid once every year and tries to convince the Fisherman that he needs his soul. Finally, the soul tempts the Fisherman away from the shore with the promise of seeing an incredible young dancer with magnificent feet. I leave it to you to discover what happens next. In all fairness, not all went well with the show I attended: the pace was sometimes slow, I couldn’t understand all of the spoken text, and some of the shadow puppetry was lost due to the light streaming in through the stained glass windows of the church where this was being performed. But in spite of all of this, I was moved. I was moved by the story, the performance, the company of actors, musicians, dancers, puppeteers and their techies. They are true storytellers and professionals. |
| BECKY AND NOELLE: INVESTIGATING THE BUCKET by Jayne Napier |
|
Becky and Noelle: Investigating the Bucket starts off slow and
then picks up the pace with a wacky song about the home states these two
women hail from. It’s the first of many songs you’ll wish you could hear
more of. I was personally hoping for a few more verses of "Dickwad" and
the "MRI Rap." Noelle Romano has a physical presence that just makes you
want to laugh. Becky Poole has a quirky voice and commitment to the
absurd that is hilariously charming. These two women are very different
but play off each other beautifully in what results in a fun, bizarre,
musical comedy hour. Their strength lies in their ability to comment on
comedy while also providing enough laugh-out-loud moments to keep you
satisfied. The show only provides a glimpse of who Becky and Noelle are and what their points of view are. I wanted to get to know them better and you will too. I get the sense that there is an inside joke with Becky and Noelle, and I wish they had set the context of that joke up better so that the audience could have been more a part of it. However they’re having such a good time entertaining that they’re not really concerned about narrative or preaching or making sure the audience understands their brand of humor, which includes a love of irony, word play, sexuality and, most of all, music. They’re not derivative AT ALL but if you need a point of reference think Tenacious D meets Lili Taylor’s character in Mystic Pizza and then add a tiny dose of the Indigo Girls to the mix. Confused? So was I, but I had a good time. |
| KOWTOW RAPSODY by Tim Cusack |
|
Less a play than a concert/spoken-word event, Kowtow Rapsody
uncertainly exists in some fluid Nowheresville of the postmodern
that has, in this pop-cultural moment, become Everytown U.S.A.—a
white performer (Scott Lawrence Kirschenbaum) appropriates black
hip-hop, barking rhymes on the mic about his relationships with
women while aggressively flirting with the sole male audience
member (yours truly), clad only in a black see-through negligee
and boxer briefs and flowing with fifty-cent SAT words that 50
Cent would never sissify himself by throwing down. The yellow
caution tape separating audience from performer suggests that
the site of this performance is more nuclear meltdown than
melting pot, and Kirschenbaum gives off a poisonous heat that
threatens to blister anyone in close proximity. However, he’s also capable of a sweet vulnerability that emerges when he slips through the barrier separating him from his audience and joins us in the seats. We’re not quite sure what he’s up to as he hands his cordless microphone to an audience member and invites that person to read from the tiny bound cue cards he carries. I know this part was about love and loss and death (he talks about sitting on a bench while visiting the grave of a friend who has died), but honestly it’s a bit fuzzy because I was the audience member suddenly participating in the show. What I do know is that something inexpressibly powerful happened—something sexy, unsettling, tender. There were several moments that reached this level of theatrical brilliance—most notably when Kirschenbaum assumed the identity of the ugliest Miss America ever, uttering such memorably funny lines as "They wanted me to be Monroe/I wanted to be Dickinson," and "They want to know how to save the world/They can start by throwing out my makeup"—but unfortunately a compelling narrative thread is missing from the show and dramatic conflict is nonexistent, unless you count the knock-down/drag-out between him and his viewers. At several points I found myself tuning out Kirschenbaum’s rants, largely because I didn’t understand the source of the rage being directed at me. This undeniably powerful performer demands that we take on the dual role of emotional pugilist and dispenser of healing balm in a private drama that resolutely stays on his side of the great interpersonal divide. Kowtow Rapsody is co-written by James Vincent Duruz, who performs musical accompaniment during the show. |
|
CIVIL LIBERTIES - AN AVANT-GARDE MUSICAL by Sharon Fogarty |
| A terrifying story: two innocent
train riders, a Muslim and a Hindu, with hopes of finding better
employment and quality of life for their families in North Carolina, are
taken into custody for no apparent reason. The horrible reality of
Military Tribunals is revealed, a currently legal caged existence that
denies all judicial rights to suspected terrorists. Suspects are kept in
cages without a phone call, an attorney, or any contact with their
families for years at a time. They are made to feel uncomfortable,
deprived of sleep and food so that information might be squeezed out of
them. In Civil Liberties the two suspects, passionately portrayed by Gagan Deep Singh and Kenneth Maharaj, are held prisoner for eight months. Interrogators are played villainously by Tiffany Lea Williams and Michelle Ramoni. Both Williams and Ramoni perform with powerful status over their prisoners, then with sudden meekness when higher authorities are present. Though Civil Liberties is billed as an avant-garde musical, none of the actors actually sing in the show. Rather, their voices are "sung" for them. Each wears a microphone plugged into composer/musical director Mike Kolker’s sound/music equipment so that their natural speaking voices are heard against an eerie tuning and harmonizing effect. Uncannily familiar with their delivery, Kolker improvises a note or cadence to each actor’s word or phrase. In scenes where all four actors are present, another effect splits the voices into several different pitches at once. These dialoguing techniques play against accompaniment of horn sounds and rhythmic motifs. The "vocoding" is eerily effective, especially against playwright/director Kris Kolker’s frightening text. Civil Liberties’ structure itself is experimental, with four short acts taking place on a train, in a police station, in a detention camp, and at the prisoners’ homes. The play does more telling than showing and is repetitive with long non-dramatic scenes. The real-time feel may have been intended to allow the audience to experience the prisoners’ monotony, which these fine actors could demonstrate in a heartbeat, but it seems to water down the message. Hopefully the script will be tightened in future renditions of this valuable work. |
|
MO(U)RNING by David Fuller |
| Mo(u)rning is a new play by
Adrian Rodriguez presented by Hudson Exploited Theater Company, Inc. (HExTC)
at the Washington Square United Methodist Church. Directed by HExTC
founder Arian Blanco, Mo(u)rning is a penetrating exploration
into the way the human mind deals with disaster, as told from the points
of view of victim, rescuer, and observer. The victims, portrayed by John
Sudol and Liche Ariza, are buried under rubble at a disaster site. Their
individual hells are exquisitely depicted by these actors whose physical
and vocal work are astonishing. The rescuers (Chip Gudger, Nixon Cesar,
and Omar Hernandez), are lost beneath the towering remains of the site,
searching for survivors. Their private torments and collective angst are
grippingly portrayed. John C. Cunningham is the observer, a solitary
figure who watches the disaster on television. His reaction, fueled by
relentless news coverage, a somewhat skewed interpretation of the Bible,
and a rather narrow belief in jingoism, becomes an epiphany of dynamic
force. Playwright Rodriguez has intertwined these three narratives so that we jump from one to another, ourselves watchers yet (thanks to the immediacy of theatre) participants as well. It is almost too much. His play makes us experience the raw humanity of catastrophe as seen from within and without, literally and figuratively. Director Blanco skillfully moves our focus through the play and cleverly utilizes the unique attributes of the church-theater location, aided by a simple yet effective set by Ashly Powell. Special mention must go to sound designer Joe DiSanzo for his clever television sound bites and his ability to startle the heck out of us. Mo(u)rning is promoted in its press material as "not a 9/11 play." The production does embrace the obvious parallel, setting the piece in "a present day disaster site much like the one that occurred on September 11, 2001." However, Rodriguez and company tackle issues and ideas that resonate beyond that terrible day. They take us on a disquieting yet worthy journey. Through the horror reverberates the unrelenting question—WHY? |
|
EASTWEST by Frank Kuzler |
| Eastwest, written and directed
by Mark Bazzone, is an absurdist take on war, the mechanics of battle,
and the driving force behind most armed conflict—land. The play starts
as two warring sides watch each other from across no man's land, each
waiting to attack while trying to demoralize and out-strategize the
other. Quickly, the show establishes a world of absurd violence as General aims and fires his arse across the battlefield at Troop, who stares through binoculars reacting with proper disgust—retching and vomiting shredded documents. During this scene, Troop's Commander, while trying to point out the enemy to Troop, who sees only baby chicks and cherry trees in the field, utters my favorite line of the play: "beyond that past the serenity see the enemy." This line sums up much of what the play successfully conveys about mankind's ability to overlook the beauty of the land for the brutality of possessing it. Throughout the play, through various means, the characters reiterate the theme, "why wage war... to take back what is ours." The stunted and staccato language beats out each action like a march; the set design pitting two sides staring offstage in opposite directions establishes the sense of a vast land divided at the centerline by bunkers of piled newspaper, the fuel of ongoing negative sentiment; the blocking convinces us of the long and stealthy advance of each side. The relationship between Todd Woodward (Troop) and Derek Argobright (Commander) is particularly strong; Julie Plumettaz gives General a formidable air of pomposity, striking a balance that allows both ridicule and understanding; and David Sangalli (Soldier) presents a complete image of the common soldier—disciplined, cowardly, and courageous. All in all, Eastwest makes its absurd view of war real and recognizable, which only reinforces its themes. |
|
RED HEAD by Michael Colby Jones |
| One of the real joys of
FringeNYC is the chance to be introduced to new talent from all over the
country. And so it goes with the production of Red Head, by
Matthew Holtzclaw, being produced by The MatchBook Theatre Company. This
collection of young guns from Florida State University have come to town
to show how hard work and attention to detail can bring a small show to
the big city stage with energy and excitement. The play itself shows
real promise and an ease with dialogue that predicts good things for the
playwright. Red Head speaks to how a person’s individual childhood can be drastically affected by the family around them. After the gruesome murder of her father right before her eyes, Mary emotionally retreats into herself rendering herself blind, and thus forever in the care of her family. At the tender age of 29, her brother—with the help of a nursing service provided long distance by their mother—is the primary caretaker, if you could ever call how he treats her as caring for her. Though at times the message is delivered in a somewhat simple and indulgent way, Holtzclaw possesses a complex style and depth to his writing that makes watching this piece a delight. That being said, the real strength of this show is in the performances. The entire cast has a firm grip on their craft. It could be the combined skills of the directors, Holtzclaw and Nick Chase, that guide the performances to such fine focus—and if so, kudos to them—but it seems this cast can claim ownership of some real talent. It’s uncommon to see such patience and specificity in young actors. They truly give each moment its due, and make the language feel natural and easy. Of special note are Andre Holland (as Blake), Garry Burgoyne (Stanlon), and Kathleen McElfresh (Christy). Holland has a charisma that moves the audience around with his thoughts in style. Burgoyne keeps it simple, which enriches his performance with a patient elegance. And McElfresh has a grace that supercedes and informs her very specific acting choices. If space allowed I’d spout the individual strengths of the whole cast, as they all have great promise, and bring this story of a troubled girl and her difficult brother to life. I look forward to what this company brings to us next. |
