Mark Lundholm's
"Addicted... a comedy of substance"
Spring 2004
Zipper Theater

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

Addicted... a comedy of substance, written by Mark Lundholm and directed by Bob Balaban, is a tall cool "drink" of a show. Everything about it is cool, from the first sight of the Zipper Theater to the fog as you leave the lobby bar.

Sometimes there can be a harmonic convergence for a show and a space and this is surely it. The Zipper with it's ultra hip urban-junk-yard décor is the perfect place to stage a one man show about addiction. And Mr. Lundholm's story is about addiction to everything ­ booze, food, work, coffee, dope, TV, phone, sex, money and even shoes. But it is mostly the story of Mr. Lunkholm's harrowing addiction to booze and dope and the crazy journey he took to a stoner's Oz and back. In Addicted, Mark Lundholm has used his own life as his canvas to expose himself totally in a darkly comic piece that is both horrifying and terribly human.

The skillful direction by Bob Ballaban was timed to a stop watch second. The lighting by Paul Miller and sound by Randy Hansen were cool and sexy, adding to the fun of being in the theater. And whoever (Walt Spangler?) thought to use a backdrop of hanging beer bottles deserves some kind of award for design. So go see Addicted, it's addicting.

They were magic. They were how you told a stranger about rock' n' roll." Jon Landau, Crawdaddy


Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

"All Good Things: The Story of the Remains" is a play about a Boston "boy band" that was popular in the sixties during the time of the English invasion (aka The Beatles). Here is a quote from their press release: "They were signed by Columbia Records. They played on Ed Sullivan. They opened for The Beatles! They never had a hit. What went wrong?"

All "All Good Things" is directed by David Roth, with a book by Michael Eric Stein and music and lyrics by The Remains. It stars Ryan Link, Anthony Rand, Clayton Fletcher, Jay Greenberg, Daniel Hall, Jay Strauss, Dorothy Abrahams, Dina Drew, Melanie McCarthy, Michelle Pruett, Elliott Mayer, Michael James Stamberg, Jason Summers and Daryl Wein. Here is an interesting note from their press materials: The original members of the Remains were from Westport, Connecticut, as is the director, David Roth.

The Remains were formed in the early sixties at Boston College by Barry Tashian, William Briggs and Vernon Miller. They then persuaded Chip Damiani to join as their drummer. The band became a hit in New England with their signature "bottom heavy" rock, so much so that they decided to quit college and move to New York. This move was much to the chagrin of their affluent Westport parents, who were expecting much more from their sons. Once in New York, they encountered repeated cycles of feast and famine as exhibited by playing on the Ed Sullivan Show. Playing Sullivan was a huge honor which did not pay off in fame and fortune, because the show's producers insisted that they mute their heavy sound. They also had good luck in getting a record contract, but bad luck when another group recorded the same single at the same time. All of this up-and-down cycle culminated when after touring with the Beatles (minus drummer Damiani), they were left in Los Angeles forced to get minor gigs to earn enough money to fly home. And soon afterwards, they disbanded.

When watching the show, I could not help but think about fame and fortune and wonder what would have happened for The Remains if they had not quit and stayed on to fight another day. I have a copy of their CD and the music is great. But they were Boston College boys (by way of Westport, Connecticut Boston College boys), and a life of failure and poverty must have been unthinkable.

When you see a show at The Fringe, you see a skeleton, an idea of what a show could be. "All Good Things" is no different. It is a show about a rock band, staged in a gymnasium without proper sound or lighting - a first look for everyone, including the writer, director, and cast. There were some very talented actors and musicians on stage (Ryan Link is always a favorite) and a very poignant story of lost possibilities. So I was left with the same question about the show that bedeviled the Remains themselves. Is there something here, something that should go on, something worth investing more time, money, energy? And the answer is yes, there is something here, something that should go on, a story worth telling, something that is worth putting up again and again - seeing what it looks like, making changes, allowing it to grow, allowing it to Remain. Rock on!

Eugene O'Neill's
Beyond The Horizon
September 2004

"Beyond the Horizon Beckons"

Reviewed by Dinika Amaral

What is destiny? Is it that what happens to us or is it what we create for ourselves? "Beyond The Horizon" is about humankind's struggle with destiny. This play was written by one of Americas' most renowned playwrights, Eugene O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill won a well deserved Pulitzer Prize for "Beyond" in 1920.

Directed by Cailin Hefferman, "Beyond the Horizon" is about two brothers on a farm, Rob Mayo (Peter O'Connor) and Andy Mayo (Justin Krauss). Rob has always been a sickly child. During his sick spells his mother, Kate Mayo (Margaret Flanagan) would instruct him to sit by the window and be quiet. He would stare beyond the horizon and wonder what adventures awaited him yonder. The play commences with Rob on the brink of a voyage around the world aboard his uncle Captain Dick Scott's (Peter Morr) ship. Rob and Andy both have romantic feelings for their neighbor's daughter, Ruth Atkins Mayo (Jennifer Larkin). While saying goodbye to her, Rob confesses his love for her. Much to his surprise, she returns his affection and begs him to stay and marry her. Her mother Mrs. Atkins (Dolores McDougal) is an invalid and Ruth cannot leave her alone. Rob agrees to stay and marry Ruth.

Stricken by Ruth's choice, Andy decides to leave in his brother's place. James Mayo (Ron Sanborn) has trouble believing his son wishes to leave the beloved farm. "You lie when you say you want to go 'way - and see thin's!" James becomes very angry, and despite his wife's efforts to stop him, he disowns Andy and tells him to never to come back to the farm. Andy leaves.

Flash forward three years and James has passed away. Rob and Ruth are not happy. The marriage was a mistake. Rob is a failure as a farmer and Ruth now loathes him. Stuck in a loveless marriage, Rob dotes on his daughter Mary Mayo (Emma Warman). In a heated argument, Ruth tells Rob that she still has feelings for Andy. She tries to get the visiting Andy, to stay on the farm. He tells Ruth that his former passion for her was never more than a "kid's idea that he was letting rule him." Ruth is humiliated and Rob feels sorry for her. Andy leaves for Buenos Aires.

For the next five years Rob and Ruth do not live as man and wife. Kate and Mary pass away and Rob becomes ill. Andy returns with a specialist Dr. Fawcett (John Fitzmaurice). Alas, it is too late. The final scene brings Rob, Andy and Ruth back to the same place the play commenced. Everything has come full circle. In a very touching death scene, Rob admits that he made the wrong decision when he decided not to follow his dreams beyond the horizon. And Andy admits to being a failure for having left the thing that was most dear to him - the farm.

The character of Ruth is the most interesting of the lot. She starts-off as this bonny farm girl, dedicated to her disabled mother, becomes a nagging wife and ends up an apathetic shell of a woman. By her own admission she is incapable of feeling, having felt too much suffering over time. However, the biggest evil she committed was to deliberately leave her husband under the impression that she loved his brother, when in truth she felt nada. The beauty of O'Neill's play lies in her resignation and in our incapability to hate her. All she compels is our sorrow.

There were many times during this play when the melodrama manifested itself in yelling making it impossible to understand the dialogue. For instance, in act one scene two when the fight breaks between John and Andy Mayo, emotion and anger run high, too high. It was not believable and many of the words are incoherent. Ron Sanborn and Margaret Flanagan have the best accents in the play. Flanagan does an excellent portrayal of a doting mother who mollycoddles her son and cannot hold her husband in check. Justin Krauss beautifully portrays his character's love for his brother. This bond is shown throughout the play, even when Rob steals his love from him.

Peter O'Connor was an excellent Rob Mayo. His monologues were delivered with passion and in correct measure. When he interacted with Ruth, he managed to convey both his poetic hope and his devotion to her, even after he learned that she was "mean and small." In one particularly touching moment, when he still hoped he could fight death, he makes plans for their future. O'Connor is a fine father figure to Emma Warman. His love and affection for her brightens the play, showing us that she is the only good thing that ever happened to him. O'Conner's beautifully capped off a great performance in the end, when he gave his last speech, before moving on into the next world.

The set for the first half of the scene was good, but dwindles away as the play moves on. O'Neill provided very explicit guidelines for the set in his playscript. The tablecloth in the second scene was not hemmed. While this might be a small factor, it demonstrates some lack of attention to detail in the set design. People with limited means and few things take very good care of their belongings. The appearance indoors failed to convey this from the onset. Therefore, as things progressed, the squalor that time had wrought was only apparent in the dulled lighting, not in the set. During insightful monologues, we heard poignant music that helped with the mood of the production, hats off to composer Henry Aronson.

The marvel of this play lies in the writing. Despite the limitations of the production, for those interested in seeing amazingly written plays take life, this show is a must. We are left with a sense of foreboding. God forbid we make the mistake of loving the wrong things. Life is best lived by those that learn not just to love, but to love the right things most. Eugene O'Neill won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936. No mean achievement, "Beyond the Horizon" gives testimony to a great writer because despite everything, the power of the main trio holds you spellbound. I could not help being moved.

Christopher Durang's
Beyond Therapy
Dillons
August 2004

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

Christopher Durang (Betty's Summer Vacation, Sister Mary Ignatius Explain It All for You) is one of my favorite playwrights and Durang's "Beyond Therapy" is one of my favorite plays. "Therapy" opened on Broadway in 1982 with Dianne Wiest and John Lithgow in the roles of Prudence and Bruce. Unfortunately I was unable to attend due to an extended childhood. So on Saturday August 14th, I happily went to see "Beyond Therapy" performed by The Source Works Theater Company. And all I can say is, "Wow!"

Director Mark Cannistraro did an amazing job with this show. First, he chose a wonderful cast: Kurt Bauccio as Bruce, Tom Daddario as Dr. Stuart Framingham, Matt Fraley as Andrew, Brad Letson as Bob, Forba Shepherd as Mrs. Charlotte Wallace and Marlene Wallace (also amazing in True West) as Prudence. Most off-off-Broadway shows have a few good actors and one or two so-so actors that the good ones have to drag behind them to the very end. That is certainly not the case with this troupe. Everyone on stage was absolutely hysterical. The actors were obviously having a blast, depicting every bizarre personality disorder known to man.

The set was very simple. Dillons is a supper club/cabaret space and can only accommodate "suitcase" plays. But nevertheless, I was totally taken into the bizarre world of these crazy characters. All the scenes were impeccably timed and I really have absolutely no criticism of anything.

Christopher Durang is a very funny absurdist playwright. I can just imagine him writing his plays, sitting in front of his computer, cracking himself up as he comes up with this insanity. Saying to himself, "Really should I? Will they be too……oh, why not? Hee, hee, hee!"

There are only supposed to be two more Therapy sessions, August 21st and 28th at 8PM, so everyone needs to rush over to Dillons at 245 West 54th Street and see the show before it closes. And if you miss it, perhaps you can ask the cast to come to your home and perform the show for you. I don't know what the price would be, but whatever it is, it would be worth it. After all, this is New York and we can all use a little therapy.

 Tracy Lett's
"BUG"
Tuesdays - Fridays at 8 PM
Spring 2004
The Barrow Street Theatre

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

Tracy Lett's Bug is one bugged-out show.  Filled with varmints and crawling with vermin, it is one of the best shows I have seen off Broadway.

As you enter the theater there is a wonderful advertisement in the ticket office warning that the show contains nudity, violence and cigarette smoking. And the show certainly contains a lot of nudity and violence, but it is so fast paced the characters have little time to smoke until the very end - but I don't want to give away too much too soon.   

The eerie theme is launched in the beginning when we see the drugged-out Agnes (the wonderful Shannon Cochran) standing in the doorway of a seedy Oklahoma City motel, casually smoking a cigarette, listening to the trucks whizzing by as an ignored phone rings in the background. She then leaves the door wide open while she looks for something to drink in the bathroom.  This directorial choice is a great metaphor for the rest of the story, for Agnes is always forgetting to "shut the door."

Soon her lesbian friend RC (the talented Amy Landecker) arrives with Peter (the amazing Michael Shannon) in tow.  When RC leaves, she leaves Peter (as a present?), and once Peter is in the door, he never leaves. And with Peter come the bugs, with the bugs comes the paranoia and with the paranoia comes the apocalypse.

Tracy Letts has written a very provocative script that is both scary and darkly funny. And Dexter Ballard has done a great job directing; he really knows how to use the space between the lines.  The lighting (Tyler Micoleau) and set (Lauren Helpern) were right on the money; I have stayed in those motels and they nailed it.  The talented cast also features Reed Birney, who does a clever turn as the smiling Dr. Sweet (a clever choice of a name) and Michael Cullen who portrays Agnes's ex-husband Goss.  Mr. Cullen does a fabulous job playing the menacing and perplexed Goss.  So go see Bug, it's "buggin'."

Bug is running a the new Off-Broadway 199-seat Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow Street (at 7th Avenue), New York, NY 10014. (1/9 to Christopher St./Sheridan Square, or A/C/E/F/V to West 4th Street.) Tickets: tickets are $35-$60 at Telecharge  212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com or Barrow Street Theatre box office two-hours prior to every performance.  Group sales and box office at 212-243-6262. Websites: visit:  www.Bugtheplay.com
 

The Barrow Street Theater | 27 Barrow Street | West Village

Burning the Old Man
A Boomerang Theatre Company Production
September - October 2004
Center Stage

Reviewed By Jeff Gangemi

I begin by asking an age-old question: Is the glass half empty or half full? And further, is that a big hole in the wall or just a convenient bit of extra ventilation? Is an inconsistent and not altogether believable character really just struggling to tell us something about ourselves?

Ah, the questions of life - the same questions I ask myself after a production of Boomerang Theatre Company's "Burning the Old Man." It's a story of sibling rivalry, adultery, intrigue, and travel. Or, if you prefer, it's the story of two bickering brothers stranded in the middle of the desert who meet two hopeless hippies and demean the hotel owner's wife.

First, a synopsis: Two brothers, Marty and Bobby, are carrying their recently-deceased father's ashes through the desert to put him to rest at the Burning Man Festival in fulfillment of his dying wish. On the way, their car blows up and they meet Josephine, a hotel desk clerk with a penchant for Thai food. Two hippies, Candy and Earth, join the party and provide some comic relief from the endless slinging of obscenity between Marty and Bobby. Later, Jo's husband, Eddie, gets home after being fired from "his sixth Reno casino in as many months," at which point all hell breaks loose.

Here I must concede that the production of this play was near flawless - one single, unchanging set, a few props, and really solid acting on all parts. I especially liked the younger brother, Bobby, played by Brett Christiansen, a reverently irreverent young man who holds the distinction of being the only character in the play who undergoes any positive transformation. Jo and Eddie are walking stereotypes of a bad marriage and why people stay (but we could've tuned into Lifetime for that), while Candy and Earth flit out as they flit into the action.

Marty is another story altogether, with a sordid past and a hopeless future. He goes from "Mr. Responsibility" to "I hate my life, I want to die" about six times in the course of the action. Furthermore, his immoral sexual escapades leave me questioning the realism of the script. Where has he been for the past three years, under house arrest? Somehow, Timothy McCracken's acting trumps the playwright's inadequate character development to keep the glass half full.

I love Candy and Earth because they simultaneously add humor and levity to the situation. Candy's clairvoyance is performed through her prodigal olfactory capabilities, while Earth is at once a humorous hippie stereotype and a realistic, contemplative young loser. Two of Earth's lines really sum up this play for me: "Love is just evil spelled backwards and wrong," and "Just when life gets to be worth living, it becomes this long, sad road to certain death."

Judge for yourself the tone of this play and the state of mind of the playwright. On my glass half full side, I laughed at the funny parts of this play as if my glass contained brackish water spiked with tequila, while my glass half empty side cried its eyes out, lamenting all the pathetic souls out there roaming the desert in search of a way to get a fresh start at their worn out lives. All things being unequal, I recommend it.

Matthew Holtzclaw's
Cane's Bayou
The NYC Fringe Festival
August 2004

"Don't say sad stuff like that when I'm buzzing," Lila Baggot

Reviewed by Stephanie Alberico

What a relief! I attended my first play at the Fringe Festival and it was delightful. I had no idea what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by "Cane's Bayou," a play by Matthew Holtzclaw.

"Bayou" is a small production about the hardships of life in the rural south. It was a riot. Drinking,nudity, cursing and offensive one-liners makeup the entire play. Nonetheless, it also dealt with the harsh realities of autism. Gary Michael McElroy, who plays Cane, portrays an autistic adult. His performance was touching and spellbinding. Only six actors are actually in the play, but they all did a wonderful job. The redneck accents and jokes were impressive, believable and hilarious.

These cast members were tight-knit and worked extremely well together.
Their individual and ensemble performances proved their closeness as a cast. They had obviously worked together before and complemented each other on stage. The atmosphere was comfortable and confident, which made it seem authentic and real.

This play was not your normal play. "Cane's Bayou" offers an alternative to the norm and reveals an unusual experience for any audience. There were no big production scenes, minimal props, and no real costume changes. This allowed for some actual "acting," because it forced the actors to keep the audience's attention only through their characters. The set had a couch, a blanket, a table, and a phone. These same props served as the set for Luther and Cane's trailer, Gamey's truck, a bar, and Graceland Construction.

Luther, played by Matthew Holtzclaw, is a quiet, nervous, unsure character who takes care of his retarded brother, Cane. Luther can't catch a break and by the advice of his boss, Ol' Boot, played by Delano Dunn, goes to a bar to meet women. This is where he meets Lila Baggot.

Lila, played by Rachel Plotkin, is the blonde, skinny love interest of
Luther. She works at the bakery at Winn-Dixie and is a loud drunk. The play moves forward with ease and comedy, as the actors chug Natural Light and crack jokes about the lifestyles of rednecks.

Gamey, played by Tony Larkin, is Lila's hateful brother who is always
accompanied by his sidekick, Hunter, played by Matt Hobby. Gamey takes a liking to Cane, but continues to harass Lila about everything. Cane and Luther's complicated relationships are the main focus of this
play. Most of the drama occurs in the haunted swampy grounds of Cane's
Bayou. Cane's girlfriend is also retarded and her name is Bang-Bang, played by Betsy Winchester. She has also mastered the art of playing an autistic female.

"Cane's Bayou" is light and funny. The story and the string of events did not seem to matter as much as the humor and the characters. If you need a break from the hyped-up, extravagant and expensive Broadway plays, this is definitely the play to go see.

Malú Huacuja Del Toro's
Celebrities Shouldn't Have Children
September 2004

"Jason Madera: The God of Celebrities Shouldn't Have Children"

Directed by : Leonard Zelig
Starring: Brad Thomason, Jason Madera, Tania Robles, Belen Cortizo and Buster the Poodle

Reviewed by Dinika Amaral

Like Milton's "Paradise Lost," writer Malu Huacuja del Toro uses "Celebrities Shouldn't Have Children" to showcase the idea of a fallible God. Brad Thomason, the comic hit of "Just Us Boys," stars as Caesar. The energy and enthusiasm Thomason fans have come to expect are evident in his performance. Caesar is the son of a celebrity who has been chosen by God (Jason Madera) to give a message to the world. Having been born on a heap of silver spoons has guilt-tripped Caesar into spending his adult life apologizing for his wealth. Of course in true superficial Hollywood style the remorse evaporates where lifestyle begins and he has no qualms about living it up.

Feelings of insecurity and unworthiness have shaped an indecisive Caesar that tries his level best to take no stand, like most gentlemen of leisure. Unfortunately for him, God is unwilling to let him off that easy. He dismisses freewill like a pesky footnote and then threatens him with being labeled as insane and thereby losing his wealth. God even uses the girlfriend Diane (Belen Cortizo) to manipulate him. Faced with the possibility of losing Diane, his wealth and having no alternatives, Caesar is on the brink of capitulating, when God is momentarily overpowered. Enter the Devil.

Tania Robles is the sly, conniving Devil in this play. She works very hard to dissuade Caesar from the task of starting a religion and using his inherited celebrity to gain a following. Her motivations are not revealed and the only rationale behind her behavior is that she is against God's will. Diane does most of the work of making Caesar famous for his witnessing God and she arranges for him to be on television. However, breaking away from Donald Trump's example, God wants Caesar to give up his fame and disgrace himself by professing to viewers that "no religion" is the true message. Diane and the devil plead, cajole and advice against this. But Caesar obeys God and gives the anti-message.

Most of the play is set in Caesar's closet, which typically is big enough for God, the devil, Diane and probably half the audience to fit in (maybe all the audience, once we get rid of the clothes). While, simplistic, the set is inventive and creative and allows for the actors to take control of the stage. The smaller size of the hosting Gene Frankel Theatre, further contributes to the vividness of off-beat productions it usually showcases. Workshops conducted here make it the perfect diving board for beginners.

At the close of the play one learns that god was using the devil all along to test Caesar, but the nature of the test is unclear. While "Celebrities Shouldn't Have Children" touches on many interesting themes it falls short of the focus and cohesiveness necessary for clarity and great performances. Probably one of the most touching insights is when Caesar observes that it was the devil that did most of the talking and explaining to him, while Gods used a completely hands-off approach. If it wasn't for the efforts of the devil, Caesar would have been lost. In a very Miltonian fashion one is forced to ask where is God when Caesar needed him most?

That the devil is a woman and God a man would lead feminists to cringe. However, the devil and Diane do all the work and are still defeated by God in gaining control of Caesar, which is a subversive critique of the patriarchal world order.

Jason Madera gives a compelling performance as a twisted God who uses mortals and the devil for his amusement. His presence is similar to the legendary presence of Paul Robeson in Othello. From the onset he commands attention with a bold entrance and continues to hold his own throughout. Madera's previous exploits include "The Cook," which according to critics lays testimony to his skill and versatility. Celebrities Shouldn't Have Children serves as another feather in his cap, fortifying his acclaimed talent.

The Dead Sea
Written By Mark A. Robertson
The New York International Fringe Festival
August 2004

Reviewed By Mikal Saint George

It is always refreshing to find a drama that deals with men and their relationships with one another that is not the usual trivialized stereotype that so much theatre –and mass media in general - has become. Too often men are reduced to nothing more than primitive lunk heads ruled entirely by their genitals and job titles. Not that the stereotype does not exist – that’s why it is there. But anytime a playwright takes more than a nanosecond to explore some of the fundamentals of what makes men tick as well as the bonds that can tie them together, I am willing to buy a ticket. Mark A. Robertson’s THE DEAD SEA, which premiered at the New York Fringe Festival, does not merely delve but instead goes bravely spelunking into just such relationships.

We are introduced to the characters on the eve of Christmas Eve when a sleeping Jake (Hayden Roush) is abruptly awakened by a would-be intruder pilfering random gifts and household items. After easily overpowering the burglar, Jake is stunned to realize that he has confronted his own brother Caleb (Mark A. Robertson – a triple threat as writer/actor/producer) who ran away 4 years earlier at age 16 and has been M.I.A. ever since. The young men are quickly joined by third sibling Corey (Nick Amick) and their father Paul (Elias Stimac).

Once the family gets over the initial shock of this impromptu reunion they are then startled by the fact that Caleb has apparently not showered nor changed his clothes since leaving home in sophomore high school. His tweaky state of inebriation speaks for itself. This is family however, and they seem relieved, if not particularly over-joyed, to have him home. After all, much has changed since Caleb’s less-than-grand exit. Jake is single again as is brother Corey, who also has the pleasure of a bitter custody battle. Dad has seemingly come to (shakey) terms with his alcoholism and, oh yeah, Mom died about a year ago. You can practically smell the middle class frustration.

There are a couple more intriguing details regarding Caleb’s absence, I won’t give them away but they will definitely raise eyebrows. More importantly, we are able to see the family dynamics that hold this family together through estrangement, addiction and death. While true “families” very often don’t grow up under the same roof, the ones that do – and live to tell about it - often have the kind of bond that simply can’t be broken. From the shared childhood rituals that have spilled over into adulthood to a simple afternoon of holiday shopping, these guys really love each other and somehow, astonishingly manage to find a way to like each other.

Mark A. Robertson indicates promise as a playwright but clearly displays himself as a gifted actor. There are many good actors out there that could easily take on this role and give a truly heart felt, profound performance. Few – very few – could display the kaleidoscope of emotion constantly swirling just beneath the surface of Robertson’s Caleb. He manages to portray the next to impossible balance of wounded spirit, dark depression and smothering narcissism that make this character complex and compelling. Yes, he is repulsive in the way that only homeless, compulsive drinking speed freaks can be but there is something genuinely endearing about him. East village bars are full of these guys, there is a cult of the women (and men) who love them, Oprah built her early career talking to flotsam and jetsam they inevitably leave in their wake.

Elias Stimac as patriarch Paul is a man still dealing with his own demons but willing to do anything (including turning a conveniently blind eye) in order to exorcise those of his offspring. Even in his more joyous moments there is a sadness that permeates his presence as only the pain of watching a child self destruct can. Stimac brings a certain elegance to this sadness that adds a subtle poignance to the story unfolding. Hayden Roush’s Jake maintains a boyish quality that belies an explosive temper. Nick Amick as Corey brings a stalwart reliability that is counter-balanced by the tumultuous emotions surrounding his failed marriage and estranged daughter.

Director Leah Vesonder displays an acute sense of the sublime. She is able to somehow see beauty in the decidedly dowdy world of these four men and even at Caleb’s most pathetic find a sort of dignity that could easily be overlooked by a less astute director.

www.geocities.com/thedeadsea2004

SOPHIA MURASHKOVSKY’s
"DEFENSES OF PRAGUE”
Winter 2004
La MaMa Experimental Theater Club

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

“Defenses of Prague” written by Sophia Murashkovsky and directed by Leslie Lee, is a loosely constructed visual feast of a show based on the ancient Jewish myth of the Golem. The Golem, according to Kaballah legend, was formed from clay by the 17th century Rabbi of Prague. This Golem, like the more familiar Frankenstein, then rises up to betray the very people he was created to save. The play is set in 1968 Prague and the metaphor seems to be the Warsaw Pact, which was formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European countries in a “spirit of friendship, co-operation and mutual assistance” as a response to a newly remilitarized West Germany. In “Prague” the play, the Golem terrorizes a gypsy dancer like the Warsaw Pact countries crushed the Czech people in the spring of 1968.

The story is about a gypsy girl named Prague who flees persecution and takes refuge in a cabaret run by a MC who personifies the Golem. This MC/Golem exploits Prague as he did her mother before her, with predictable sorrowful results. And this simple thread of a story is the basis of a dazzling abstract production, filled with music, dance and poetry, the East Village at its very best. The play is written and performed more in the style of an opera or ballet, in which you can’t easily follow the story, but you are really glad you are watching it.

LaMama’s interpretation of Ms. Murashkovsky play is beautifully done, with gorgeous costumes, a fun set (great cemetery stones) and charming music and dance performed by an onstage gypsy band. The Director, Leslie Lee, did a wonderful job creating this show. Set design is by Dara Wishingrad, costumes by Rosemary Ponzo. lighting by Russell Drapkin and sound by Nick Moore. Stas Kmiec is the choreographer and Susan Henle-Christiensen is the director of movement. Props and special effects are by Jacqueline Wade, who is also Assistant Director. The flamenco and gypsy music are by Eugene Doga.

The very talented cast includes: Walter Krochmal, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Angelica Ayala, Nina Savinsky, Julie Saad, Vina Less, Maria Hurdle, Chris Alonzo, Dan Kastoriano, Maya Levy, Gary Andrews, Malia Miller, Channie Waites, Robert Eggers, Meghan Andrews and Erin Lehy.

The cast also includes Svetlana Yankovskaya, Elena Raffloer, Meline Mazmanyan, Olga Shumovych, Gabriel Yakubov, Vasily Romany, and Serguei Riybtsev, who are real Gypsies. And what a wonderful choice it was to cast them.

Erin Courtney’s
“Demon Baby”
January 2004
Ohio Theater

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

Clubbed Thumb Theater Company’s stated mission is to develop funny, strange and provocative plays and they have done just that with their new production of Demon Baby. Written by Erin Courtney and directed by Ken Rus Schmoll, Baby is the story of an American woman, Wren, played by Heidi Schreck, who moves to London when her husband Art, played by Patrick McNulty, is transferred by his employer.

Wren’s goal when she arrives in London is to write and illustrate a children’s book for a relocation company. This book is to tell the story of a child who moves to a foreign land, initially feeling very lonely and then adjusting, finding friends and starting to feel at home. This is also the story of Ms. Courtney’s play, a simple story indeed, but great fun in the telling.

Wren finds herself paralyzed by the move, unable to leave home and terrorized by her anxiety, which is embodied in the Demon Baby, played by the very funny Glen Fleshler, an English garden gnome who sits on Wren’s chest spouting self-absorbed nonsense. This baby weighs her down, leaving her incapable of adjusting to her new home, and she soon becomes the object of pitying gossip among her new “friends.”

But then Wren, in an on-the-mark performance by Heidi Schreck, takes matters into her own hands and pulls herself out of her malaise by making bizarre choices in a desperate attempt to be seen as herself. In one very funny scene, she strips naked and tries to seduce her nebbish book editor Alan, the very talented Gibson Frazier (also great in La MaMA’s Butt-Crack Bingo). In another she invites everyone over for the evening and only serves one choice of drink, gin and tonic, and one food, biscuits. “Just tell them it’s an American custom”, she tells her perplexed husband. And her idea of entertainment is to blindfold the guests and have them swing at a piñata while running around on the roof.

The brilliance of this production is in the presentation. The directing by Ken Russell Schmoll was right on the money. The set by David Evans Morris and lights by Garin Marschall were gorgeous. The sound by Michael Newman was very skillfully done, especially the sounds in the Sway scene. The very talented cast consists of: Glen Fleshler, Gibson Frazier, Nina Hellman, Leo Kittay, Polly Lee, Patrick McNulty (also great in Red Bull’s Pericles), Heidi Schreck and Mark Shanahan. Of special note was Nina Hellman as Cat - she was hysterical.

John Morrison's
Divine Right
March -April 2004
The Workshop Theater

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

John Morrison's "Divine Right" is a family tragedy with Shakespearean proportions. Jack Keating, a widowed father (played by Robert Arcaro), has been rejected by his younger daughter Kieren (Macha Ross), who has left Stanford to join a fringe religious cult run by Ray Allman (Christopher Graham). As the story begins, we are at a beach house in New Jersey and Mr. Keating is planning a kidnapping and forced intervention. He has hired a security guard named Phil (Sean O'Connor) to help with the "snatch". Mr. Keating also attempts to enlist the aid of his other daughter Riley (Jeanne Hime) who would rather skinny dip in the Atlantic Ocean than talk to her father about family problems.

We then see the kidnapping and the intervention which takes us to the end of Act I. When Act II opens, it is now a year later and the unmarried Riley has a son whom she plans to leave with her father while she blithely pursues her own life. But no one's life can go on. The Allman cult, with all of its tabloid drama, still exists in the distance; there they are marching toward their own apocalyptic end.

"Divine Right" has a fast-moving plot and is well directed. And it has one humdinger of a tightly written final scene. "Divine" is also blessed with a divine cast: Robert Arcaro, Christopher Graham, Jeanne Hime, Sean O'Connor and Macha Ross. The set (designed by George Allison) was multidimensional with many different playing areas and the lighting by Peter Hoerburger and ecclesiastical music (uncredited) were very effective. Well done!

Tickets are $15 (Students $8) and can be obtained by calling The Workshop at 212-695-4173.

Raw Impressions, Inc.
& Penney Seal Productions
Dreams This Way:
The Best of Raw Impressions Music Theatre
March 2004
TADA! Theater Space

"Come on along and listen to, the lullaby of Broadway"

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

Raw Impressions in Association with Penney Seal Productions has a winner in their show, Dreams This Way, directed by Daniella Topol. Dreams is a "dream" of a chance to see some of the best young talent in New York. All eight of the pieces are great musically and many of them are hysterically funny.

Dreams is comprised of eight of the best pieces created in RIMT work shopped presentation at LaMaMA, a process that involved 38 artists who represent what musical theatre looks and sounds like today. I especially liked Fifty Million Dollars and My Gay Best Friend, they were well written and very witty. And I was simply blown away by the sick fun of How Many Annas. So, if you are worried about the future of Broadway, don't. There are some mega talented composers, writers, and musical comedy stars coming your way. So "sleep tight, let's call it a day. Hey!……It's the Lullaby of Broadway."

Terese Pampellonne’s
“THE DOOMSDAY CLUB”
February 2004

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

Yankee Rep’s production of The Doomsday Club, written by Terese Pampellonne and directed by Chris Morran, is a Five Women Wearing the Same Dress kind of story about a group of women who have formed their own support group so they can be free to wallow in the dark side without being distracted by unrealistic cheerful chatter.

There is a theory that depressed people are only realistic and the rest of us are suffering from some kind of neuroses because we refuse to recognize how perfectly dreadful most everything really is. This is the mantra of the support group in The Doomsday Club. They meet to discuss every possible pending disaster so they can be prepared for the worst possible case and perhaps in a very few instances, be able to take evasive measures.

Ms. Pampellonne skillfully sets up her story by introducing each of her damaged characters and telling enough about the background of each so we can see why they are so willing to meet in a house where they are required to walk on plastic runners and sit on sofas covered with plastic slipcovers. But then the story bogs down. None of the women wants anything from the other women in the room, except an opportunity to tell her own story. There are minor spats over cleanliness but that alone does not supply the conflict necessary to sustain a drama. Having people sitting around talking about the past is a difficult writing task for any playwright, unless he/she can channel Noel Coward. And nothing much happens from the beginning of Doomsday until the end, when one of the characters, the new girl Myra (skillfully played by Mercedes Casamayor), tells the group that even though looking at life in such a realistic fashion might be good for her and show her how things really are, that is precisely why she can’t stay. She needs hope to stay alive.

The show was skillfully directed by Chris Morran. The very talented cast included Lynn Bowman as Celia, Chris McGinn as Estelle, Coree Spencer as Sheila, Mercedes Casamayor as Myra, Celia Bressack as Francine, and Jennifer Lamberts as Elizabeth. Both Ms. McGinn and Ms. Casamayor deserve special note. Ms. McGinn was funny just sitting in her chair and Ms. Casamayor gave a beautifully true performance as “Myra with no n.”

Colin Campbell's
GOLDEN PROSPECTS: A LOS ANGELES MELODRAMA
August 2004 , NYFringe Festival

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

"An unfortunate family journeys west in 1901 in search of the American Dream, but finds… Los Angeles. Opium! Pornography! Prostitution! Disfigurement! Asphyxiation! Apoplexy! Fun for the whole family."

Golden Prospects is a classic melodrama complete with stalwart heroes, damsels in distress and cape-wearing, mustache-twirling villains. This show is a hoot, and brilliant to boot. Colin Campbell is a very good writer, but he is an even better director.

In theater, casting is everything and Mr. Campbell chose an incredible cast: Colin Campbell (himself), Max Faugno, Dennis Fox, David Furr, Katie Firth, Karl Herlinger, Suli Holum, Vin Knight, David Libby (original music and piano), Rebecca Lowman, Trey Lyford and Jordin Ruderman, Every one of these talented actors totally got it. They skillfully used their bodies and voices to depict the heightened style demanded by melodrama. They didn't just say their lines, they moved their lines.

One of my director friends has a funny joke. He asks,"What is the difference between a joke and a bus?" The punch line is, "If a bus is late, it is still a bus." Prospects has many funny moments - some examples are their campy amputations, cruel seductions and the hyper-pronunciation of words like Los Angeles and cruel (cru-well). In comedy, timing is everything, and Golden Prospects is timed like a stopwatch. Comic timing is a gift from the gods that can be developed but not taught. It is an inborn talent, like perfect pitch. Here they were, twelve actors who had been blessed by the comic gods and goddesses, not one but twelve. I review a lot of off-off-Broadway shows, and I have never before seen this many gifted comedic actors all on one stage.

The costumes (by Melissa Schlactmeyer) were beautiful and appropriately period - a lot of fun capes, carnival barker costumes, white period dresses, etc. The show is hilarious in this bare bones presentation, but would be even funnier if time and money had allowed for a lighting designer, set designer and sound designer who possessed the same campy, outrageous sense of humor as Mr. Campbell. This show could also use some beer as well as some popcorn - so the audience has something to throw as they hiss and boo.

"The Gray Area"
and
"Hindsight"
September 2004
Under St. Marks

Reviewed by Tara Koppel

Who can forget their first love? And do we ever completely get over them? These first loves are the guests who randomly invite themselves (unannounced) into our Memory Scrapbook. Sometimes the melody of a song or the scent of soap allows us to briefly stumble upon their page. Other times, however, that page seems to be a permanent fixture in our thoughts and we find ourselves writing and starring in a one woman play about them, so is the case of Ophira Eisenberg, who will be featured on Comedy Central's Premium Blend this season.

I walked into the small downtown playhouse, Under St. Marks, excited about being an addition to the New York Cool Cool crew, and being here, in the heart of undomesticated New York City. Yes, I confess… I am a newyorkcool.com virgin. And when we're through, please feel free to
light a cigarette.

Under St. Marks is a cozy, intimate theater, resembling an underground basement. It seemed hidden, like a secret that I'm letting you all in on. It feels as though you're about to watch a show in the comfort of your own home, but where the performers are much more talented than your brothers and sisters. They offered the audience wine. Have you ever heard of anyone passing up free alcohol? Me neither. And who am I to break tradition…the play began and I took a sip.

If listening to sagas of love is like a roller coaster; then I should have come prepared with a full case of Dramamine. In this hilarious and all too realistic performance of "Hindsight," Ophira invites us into the highs and lows of her first relationship: the fighting, the making up, the intense love, the pissing off, the hating, the crying, the incredible sex, the needing, and finally, the knowing when it's time to let go. Sound freakishly familiar? If this is foreign to you, that's o.k. Surveys suggest that one out of every twenty psychos never have a first love. So don't sweat it! You're in good company.

Instantaneously, Ophira accomplishes what many performers have difficulty doing, capturing her audience and taking us along for the ride. The show did not include what we as an audience have come accustomed to: special effects; murders; or people dramatically dying. The only actress in this play is a single woman; extending me an invite to her intriguing story, and I RSVP'd, ASAP!

Ophira's "Hindsight" details how a person falls "hard" and "messy" into love. To paraphrase her, the first time you fall in love you wear a set of window blinds over your eyes. Every now and then they lift up and you notice questionable behavior, so you lower the blinds again right before intuition and reality sets in. For a moment I thought that the entire performance was a hoax. Was Ophira a private investigator that had been following me for years? How else could she understand my past so well? Thank God for the lessons of "hindsight," right? (I am now proud to say that my eyes are clear of all window treatments.)

Our Memory Scrapbook, similar to a bank account, ages and matures, even if our relationships always do not. This guides us into what is commonly known as "The Gray Area," the second comedy of the night, written by and starring Neil Potter and Bethel Caram. This real life couple have been "committed to non-commitment," existing in the gray area, the locale where a relationship is ambiguously defined.

Receiving bad directions reminds me of this gray area that Neil and Bethel speak of. You're lost: possibly in the vicinity, but still don't exactly know where you are. In a relationship, the gray area means that you are a couple, although not completely established, nor do you always want to be. The only problem lies in that the rules are flexible and often unclear, you don't know what direction the relationship is headed, and you can't turn to an atlas for guidance.

Neil and Bethel have been in this noncommittal relationship for eight years. (No, that is not a typo; I did in fact say eight.) They admit that being in the gray area is a possible outcome from being "afraid to grow up." They can't figure out their relationship because they haven't figured out themselves yet. This probably accounts for the hours of soul searching they invest their time in. Neil is a groupie to motivational speaker guru, Tony Robins, while Bethel reads self-help books like The Power of Now, which made most of the audience laugh at the pitiful ness of it all. (I didn't feel pathetic when I read that book…twice…and bought two copies; one for reading and for decoration.)

Within its dialect, "The Gray Area" comedic ally captures the essence and confusion of the differences between men and women. For example, Bethel suggests that they each say something nice about one another. She begins this exercise by saying she enjoys his wonderful "zesty" personality. Neil replies by telling her he likes her apartment…(enough said.)

The "Gray Area" provokes my curiosity about men and women and if we're truly bred from separate species: belonging to two different animal kingdoms. If so, this certainly explains a great deal. (Now it makes sense why when I communicate with men, they respond by swinging from tree branches while scratching their arm pits and pulling gnats out of their hair.)

There is no gray area about it: both plays were creatively written and had impeccable comedic timing. And in hindsight, I have learned two things about love: the first is that, although love can seem torturous at times, it is vital to us like water, air, food, and porn. Actually, that's not accurate…we can survive a while without food. And the second is that, although our Memory Scrapbook may look messy and unorganized, time and growth will eventually make our future scrapbook into a fine piece of artwork, as are these two performances.

Here's to The Third New York
"A state of the art, one-act musical"
September 2004
Tada! Theatre

Cast: Michael Ashford, Daniella Galli, Elissa Goldstein, Jamal Green, Ryan Greer & James Robinson

With live funk music performed by: Stephanie Wells, Christopher Heinz and Nathan You

Reviewed by Diedre Kilgore

I attended Tada! Theatre's opening weekend of Here's to The Third New York with my friend Hana. Tada! Theatre provides a fantastic venue for an Off-Broadway show. When we entered the lobby, we were welcomed by a bohemian world of candlelight, and then were ushered into a spacious yet cozy warehouse-type space, with a large, well-constructed stage.

The production's program had an introductory quote taken from E.B. White, which seemed to aptly explain the title of the show we were about to see. "There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted…….Second, there is the New York of the commuter…….Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these three trembling cities the greatest is the last-the city of final destination, the city that is a goal." Well now. That certainly got our attention. This show celebrates a dying breed of New York artists, which simply do not have the outlets they used to. Be it lack of funding, complacency, bureaucracy, you can pretty much name your culprit. However you slice it, its tough being a New York City artist.

Here's to The Third New York realistically illustrates this lifestyle quite well, and brings up and pushes out what it's truly like to be a part of the third New York. The opening scene shows a poet on a soap box, with an accompanying tap number screaming of an impending revolution as a necessary action needed for artists to combat the growing commercialism of the city. I would have loved to see a revolution unfold, but it seems the solution was less the point of the show than to simply portray an ever-dying subculture of New York. Having said that, the show does a fantastic job at entertaining and the cast has explosive moments of well-honed talent. Standout performances come from Elissa Goldstein, her acting and signing were both soulful and heart wrenching. Michael Ashford and James Robinson were both excellent dancers that just seemed to glide across the stage. The music was fun and upbeat, and the tap numbers, which were utilized as a kinetic backdrop to anarchistic poetry, were well composed both at the opening and closing of the show. The audience is taken through an entertaining and realistic ride through a day in the life of struggling artists trying to get by in New York City.

Once the show was over, Hana and I left the theatre and went down the street to the Blue Smoke, and with two double shots of Jack Daniels in hand, we made a toast.

Here's to an inspirational story of survival, in the struggle to keep alive the creative spirit.

Lance Werth's
High Cotton
The NYC Fringe Festival
August 2004

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams

"High Cotton," produced by Meredith Lucio (Tex-in-the-City) and directed by Joseph P. McDonnell (director of the Fringe debut of Urinetown), has enjoyed a great run at this years Fringe Festival, playing to full appreciative houses. High in the Cotton is the cast: Claire Alpern (Lurlene), Eric C. Bailey (The Willets), Ivanna Cullinan (Cordelia), Cole Kazdin (Jean), Roland Johnson (Grand Dandy/Grand Mandy), Peter Maris (Flint), and Flotilla DeBarge (Partition).

The plot is a simple melodrama, a loose retelling of King Lear with a twisted ending and lots of fluff added just for the fun of it. There is the father, Grand Dandy, and his three daughters Cordelia (the drunk), Lurlene (the religious nut) and Jean (the sexy bombshell). The other members of the household are Flint (the hunky handyman) and Partition (the saucy maid). All of these characters are tossed together and soaked in the home-made Southern hooch that is "High Cotton."

The script is pure camp and it is served up expertly by the performances of the two veteran character actors: Flotilla DeBarge (the black maid) and Eric C. Bailey (several official-sounding men). They both had amazing timing with all their lines and could elicit laughs by simply walking on stage.

The beauty of the Fringe Festival is its function as an incubator, giving many shows their first chance to play in front of a live audience, a chance to "let her rip." In any comedy, the audience is a member of the cast and they have their own lines, their laughs. Comedy cannot exist without an audience. And High Cotton, with the help of the Fringe Festival, is now well out of the box and out there strutting its campy stuff in front of full houses. So let the show go on, cuz the Cotton is high and the living is easy.

Suarez DanceTheater's
Dope
”A Homage to Skater Culture”
March 2004
Tribeca Performing Arts Center

Reviewed by Wendy R. Williams and Helen Milholland

SuarezDanceTheater and the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, as part of Tribeca's Artists in Residence Work and Show Festival, are proud to present DOPE: a Dance For Rebels. Dope can mean drugs, but it can also mean hot, good - everything with a bag of chips. Dope to the Saurez Dance Theater is a hot street style of punk dancing – as their subtitle states "A Homage to Skater Culture". And the Tribeca Performing Arts Center is one cool venue to attack.

Christine Suarez, dancer and choreographer, with Daniela Hoff, Aaron Haskell and Becky Pearl capture the energetic movements and abrupt changes of pace of a skateboarder as they swirl about the huge stage and charge the stairs. Always beautifully athletic, they were at their very best when they interacted with each other and showed the audience who they are as they aggressively surfed the stage. Dope's hot dance style was accompanied by Andy Miccolis's cool music and was complimented by some really fly skate gear.

I Love Paris
August - October 2004.
Blue Heron Arts Center

Reviewed by Armistead Johnson

I Love Paris takes place backstage at the daytime talk show, The View, where Paris is waiting to audition for a slot as one of the show's co-hosts. The play is a stream of consciousness monologue of musings from America's favorite hotel heiress and B porn star, Paris Hilton.

"What's on Paris's mind," you ask? Everything from her hair to terrorism and thankfully, Doug Field's (Down South, An Enola Gay Christmas) script provides no segue from topic to topic, giving I Love Paris an authenticity that fans of Paris's The Simple Life have come to appreciate from Ms. Hilton.

Now, there are critics out there who claim that Paris Hilton is nothing more than a pretty face and hot body with millions of dollars. "How has I Love Paris dealt with such harsh remarks," you ask? By taking her hot body and pretty face out of the equation and having the reality TV star and Guess? model played by someone who no more resembles her than he does her dog Tinkerbell; veteran Broadway actor Kevin Shinick. The bold direction, by Timothy Haskell (one of the most talented directors in New York right now), has Kevin playing Paris as a man, so ther