Alice Ripley brings The Pink Unicorn vividly to life

The Pink Unicorn is a one woman show, with Alice Ripley delivering a stunning performance as a young mother of a gender neutral child. Ripley plays Trisha Lee, a single mother in a conservative Texas town, where her child challenges the town’s norms.

The play, written by real Texan Elise Forier Edie, lays out the story of Trisha in a confessional manner. Her child, Jolene, decides she is genderqueer and then plans a Gay Straight Alliance at her high school. This being Texas, a number of roadblocks rise in their path. First the school bans the club, then the school district steps in to ban all clubs. Throughout this, Trisha is forced into an activist role, because it is her child that is being discriminated against.

Alice Ripley in The Pink Unicorn - Jazelle Artistry

The Pink Unicorn is the story not just of a mother defending her child, but also of the growth of Trisha. She confronts her past as her family weighs in on the changes happening. And she confronts her second family, as the controversy roils her church, where friends and acquaintances stake out different positions. The subtly of Ripley’s performance is perfect and measured. She brings the audience along on this roller coaster, prompting laughs, tears and introspection.

Directed by Amy Jones, The Pink Unicorn is played on a tiny stage at The Episcopal Actors’ Guild at a church. The location gives The Pink Unicorn the intimate feel of a share at a small group meeting. Ms. Jones and Ripley use this space to pull an immediacy into the proceedings. It is a wonderful experience. 

The Pink Unicorn

Playwright: Elise Forier Edie | Director: Amy Jones | Cast: 

Website

God Show Up, and He Has Notes

The theater has a varied relationship with God. He is a remote, but powerful motivator in some Shakespeare and a play like Joan of Arc. He is a presence off-stage, influencing the actions of men in plays across the ages. In God Shows Up, he is a direct character, appearing on the television show of a popular televangelist.

God makes an appearance on the non-denominational, but quite capitalistic, Dr. Thomas Issac Rehan show, live from St. Louis, in the ex-home field of the Rams to answer questions, participate in some give and take, and generally boost the ratings of the show. It is a unique event, one that Dr. Rehan takes full advantage of. As for God, his motivation is only slowly reveled. He has come back to correct some mistakes and characterizations in the holy books and set the record straight with regards to many things said in his name.

Lou Liberatore and Christopher Sutton in God Shows Up

Christopher Sutton plays the televangelist with the easy cadence and charm of a snake-oil salesmen. He handles an obnoxious role extremely well, bringing a genial confidence even when he is discovered to be lying. Lou Liberatore does a great job with the character of God. He is easy going, charming, and bemused by Thomas’ television act. After a bit expectation setting by his character, Mr. Liberatore settles in to the role of God excellently.

The final actress is LeeAnn Hutchison with a rather small part, but it grows in ways I don’t want to spoil.

Most of Gods Shows Up proceeds with humor and a breezy confidence. The play does mock religions’ capitalistic tendencies and the inconsistencies of doctrine, but goes out of its way to be positive about the adherents motivations and actions. It is clever, funny and intelligent without being condescending.

But the play steps into some questionable territory towards the end by drawing a direct connection between Satan and our crop of self-interested televangelists that is a bit over the top and unnecessary. However, that connection does make Christopher Sutton's final words a bit chilling.

Directed by Christopher Scott, God Shows Up moves along nicely. It is aiming for a nice off-Broadway shelf life and it would be well earned, albeit not with evangelical southerners.

God Shows Up

Playwright: Philip Filichia | Director: Christopher Scott | Cast: LeeAnn Hutchison, Lou Liberatore, Christopher Sutton | Website

The Music Hall visits 59E59

At the 59 E 59 Theaters, a very funny throwback show is going on. Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, is a Music Hall style review that travels from humorous to hilarious. The piece plays off a 1942 US Army pamphlet of the same name that tried to explain the British to American servicemen.

L-R: James Millard, Dan March in Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain. Photo by Lidia Crisafulli 

The audience is treated as a newly arrived squadron of Army Air Corps being briefed on the traditions of the British. The three man cast is excellent and also wrote the story: Dan March, James Millard and Matt Sheahan. They each play a main character and occasionally bring secondary characters to life.

The play doesn’t have an overarching theme, but plays off a series of vignettes that flow as information to the new troops. All are funny, but some are hilarious. Matt Sheahan’s explanation of the British monetary system in the forties - the time of shillings, pence and farthings - is confusing, impenetrable and wildly funny.

Dan March’s American Colonel is the epitome of a period of US bluster and self-importance. He is the ugly American that makes you laugh both with and at him.

James Millard plays a perfect American guide, trying to bridge the differences, keep the peace and move the training along, without offending either side. Mr. Millard also indulges in the odd British tradition of dressing up in female drag and acting with broad farcical effect. It is dated and silly, but still oddly charming and humorous. 

The audience loved the show, despite a wide range of ages. The three man troupe engages in a lot of audience banter. To their credit, they are able to work both when the audience joins in, and when they have a bunch of stiffs sitting there.

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain is a slight and dated show, but somehow it works even better as a period piece. Today the jokes would be stereotypes and not funny, but here, taking the piss out of both sides, it is all obviously in good fun.

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain

Director : John Walton / Playwrights & Cast: Dan March, James Millard, Matt Sheahan

website

Norma Jean Baker of Troy (an impression, not a review)

Well, that was weird as hell!

I went (to the Shed) and saw a show last night. It was called Norma Jean Baker of Troy. And starred one of my all-time favorites, Ben Whishaw and Renée Fleming, an Opera Star in the best sense with an amazing voice.

 

It was a show, not a play. More a poem of dance and obsession. It reminded me of the movie Howl, where James Franco recites the poem, as Alan Ginsberg, and the poem plays out around him in action, occasional cartoon and history. Howl is great.

Norman Jean Baker of Troy is not great. It has some great moments. Ben Whishaw is great as always. He has an intensity and voice and movement that is mesmerizing. It is used here to a hypnotic effect. Renée Fleming’s voice is similarly hypnotic and haunting. Her voice is pure energy, rising and falling like a third person in the room.

Putting them together should yield something that is completely different, which NJBOT is. But it should also yield something inviting and urgent, which NJBOT is definitely not.

Renée Fleming as the Transciber

Ben Whishaw recites the lines to a transcriber, Renée Fleming. He describes the fall of Troy substituting Norma Jean for Helen. But is a reflection, a simulacrum, a cloud of Norma Jean (the cloud analogy is used over and over and over again). One that Arthur of Sparta and New York (Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe’s 3^rd husband), attempts to recover.

Norma Jean is, according to this told rendition, is held by the gods – not in Egypt as in Euripides poem, but at the Chateau Marmont. NJBOT continues in this tale for ninety minutes. The story-teller brings in the story of Persephone as well. All of these women loved and hated and held for their beauty.

As the poem progresses, Whishaw is slowly, very slowly, transforming into Marilyn in her iconic seven-year itch white dress. And Renée moves from simply transcribing to telling the tale and transcribing and singing and helping with make-up.

A shot probably from the second row. I sat in "D" and barely saw their faces.

It ends, as it must, with Whishaw overdosing and going to sleep.

How is it? Well, I loved it and hated it at the same time. Ben Whishaw and Renée Fleming are unimaginably good, because you simply cannot believe it could hold your attention, and it does. Ms. Fleming’s voice is like nothing I’ve ever heard, but I am not an Opera fan.

And the same time, more than a few people walked out.

As for The Shed, it is way too cavernous for this play. The props were human sized and yet so far from most of the people you knew who the pictures were only because you knmow it is Marilyn Monroe. They need to understand how to use the space. The shows at the Park Avenue Armory give me hope for the space.

Hadestown Tempts, Give In

Hadestown takes the audience on a journey from New Orleans to Hell and back, weaving an entrancing spell all the way. It is almost impossible not to be swept along on the ride with Eurydice and Orpheus as they fall in love with spring, each other and life. Eva Noblezada stars as Eurydice and Reeve Carney as Orpheus, the son of a muse and expert with the lyre and song. They meet as Persephone (Amber Gray, simply killing it) rises from Hell to herald Spring back into the world. The celebratory mood is infectious and joy leaps from the talented cast. When Hades (Patrick Page) summons Persephone back to the underworld, darkness descends. And there, in the cold and dark, Eurydice struggles to survive. Orpheus is too busy writing a song to lure springtime back to notice Eurydice’s plight. And so, she makes a literal deal with the devil giving up freedom for food and warmth.

Eva Noblezada, André De Shields, Reeve Carney

 Guiding us on this journey is André de Shields as Hermes. He moves smoothly, bringing the narrative a sultry and seductive voice. That Andre De Shields still commands the stage isn’t a surprise, but the ease of his performance and casual elegance is a pleasure to behold. No less entertaining, albeit harder working, are the spectacular Fates, the three women who entice and direct the actions of mere mortals. These singers, Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer and Kay Trinidad move with timing, energy and familiarity of a jazz trio (with an admitted nod to the Pointer Sisters). They are the voice of both doubt and hope.

The early mood of Hadestown is light and breezy, but with the undercurrent of deeper forces. And when those deeper forces rise to the fore, bringing us to Hell, we are confronted with a different reality. Hades rules an underworld that embraces productivity and production, without worrying about an output. It is a terrifying and stark place.

Amber gray as Persephone

Hades and Orpheus are both energized by love to create a world to impress and honor their intended partners. But both lose sight of their partners’ desires in their drive to impress them. Both are so infatuated by their creation, Hades in the industrial behemoth and Orpheus in his song, that the original reason for creation is ignored. Recovering the affections of the women then becomes paramount.

The voices and song are excellent. Mr. Carney’s first tentative steps are part of Orpheus finding his voice. Mr. Page’s amazing bass is all about Hades’ knowing his strength. Eurydice and Persephone’s joyful journeys move from revelry to tenderness in the opposite direction.

Even the chorus of five players is exceptional both vocally and visually. Their expressiveness in dance and voice enhanced the show in great ways, and they move as the audience's surrogates.

Rachel Hauck’s scenic design enhances emotions throughout the journey, but Orpheus’ descent into hell is particularly interesting, done with simple lighting effects. Director Rachel Chavkin has brought Anais Mitchell’s songs and book to life magically. Go see it now, while you can still get tickets.

Hadestown

Music, Lyrics & Book: Anaïs Mitchell / Director: Rachel Chavkin | Cast: Reeve Carney, André de Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page / website

Picking Up the Pieces in After

After is a gut punch that sneaks up on you. The play is set in an upscale house, typical of something you would see in Westchester or the Hamptons, smoothing blues and tasteful furniture. And it is populated by the nice mid-upper class semi-repressed white inhabitants you expect. The very normality is what lulls you into the expectation of a simple story with simple answers. Author Michael McKeever gives a straightforward, albeit not simple, story and then delivers the raw emotions that go with it.

The central dynamic of After is the conflict between two sets of parents who are long acquaintances, but not friends. Connie and Alan Beckman (Denise Cormier and Bill Phillips) are visiting the home of Julia and Tate Campbell (Mia Matthews and Michael Frederic). The Beckman’s son was bullied by the Campbell’s son and they have been invited over to discuss the situation. Julia Campbell has also invited her sister who is an old friend of Connie’s. Sister Val (Jolie Curtsinger) comes to the discussion as a referee of sorts.

Mia Matthews, Jolie Curtsinger, Bill Phillips, Denise Cormier, Michael Frederic in AFTER at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by John Quilty Photography

What follows is a series of three scenes, each dealing with more complexity from the original incident. The emotions drive into and then past the stereotypes of the characters. Denise Cormier is an over-protective mother of a sensitive son. Bill Phillips plays her husband as a beta male, a man who just lost his job in the cut-throat world of finance. In contrast, the Campbells are the power couple. Mia Matthews is the perfect housewife and mother, perfect to the point of obsession. Michael Fredric is her husband, an alpha male who sees anything less that outright injury as boys being boys as they become men.

Jolie Curtsinger is the woman in the middle. She is Julia’s sister, but an old friend of Connie. She exists to give us voice and insight into these people who, left to their own devices, would simply bluster and leave. She is the catalyst that moves them past their own viewpoints. It sounds a bit forced, but in practice it is an organic element that greatly benefits After.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because After should be a bit of a surprise for the full  effect, even when it feels a bit predictable. But rest assured, the performances are uniformly flawless. Michael Frederic can never drop his alpha demeanor and yet he still brings a depth to the performance that is shocking. And the transformation of Mia Matthews as the perfect housewife is harrowing. By contrast the transformation of Denise Cormier and Bill Phillips seem at first a shorter journey. But the depth they bring to the characters is wonderful. And Jolie Curtsinger never feels anything but critical to the action.

I loved After. I was surprised and touched by this show. It is a bit of a throwback to peal at the emotions of an upper middleclass privileged family but in using these characters the commonality of emotions is explored. It is wonderfully directed by Joe Brancato allowing his actors freedom to feel, and never letting it feel over the top.

After

Playwright:Michael McKeever | Director: Joe Brancato | Cast: Mai Matthews, Bill Phillips, Denise Cormier, Jolie Curtsinger, Michael Frederic

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Kiss Me Kate is Revived Right

I was skeptical about a revival of Kiss Me Kate. It is a fairly sexist show based on a very sexist play. It probably did not seem sexist or questionable when first performed. Both Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and Porter’s Kiss Me Kate are classics, but they are problematic in their treatment of women. Somehow director Scott Ellis has put together a fun, massively entertaining, high spirited show that manages to avoid the stereotypes that inhabit both pieces. This Kiss Me Kate glides effortlessly through and around the problems, while preserving the energy and excitement of the original. 

The company gets Too Darn Hot

The plot of the show is a device to hang some magical Cole Porter songs on. A theater is putting on Taming of the Shrew. The show within a show stars Lilli Vanessi (Kelli O’Hara) and Fred Graham (Will Chase) a formerly married couple. They are still in love - which is obvious to the audience, if not the couple involved. The secondary couple in Shrew, Bianca and Lucentino are played by Lois (Stephanie Styles) and Bill (Corbin Blue), a couple who are dating and still in the discovery phase.

Kelli O’Hara’s voice is enthralling, and she is given full voice in most of the numbers. This brings new heartbreak to So In Love and an adult’s hesitancy to I Hate Men. Will Chase is no match for her voice-wise, no one is, and instead brings an adult perspective and weariness to his numbers Where Is The Life That Late I Led and So In Love.

If that were all that was great here, I could highly recommend Kiss Me Kate, but this revival shines far beyond these two. The ensemble numbers stand out with amazing voices and dancing. Adrienne Walker steals Another Op’nin’, Another Show and James T. Lane leads the ensemble in bringing the audience to their feet in Too Darn Hot.

Corbin Blue, more mature than you might remember, tears up the floor, the stairs, the railings and a ceiling dancing and tapping through Bianca. And Stephanie Styles blazes through Always True to You in My Fashion with a lot of stage business to cover the rather mercurial morals of the song. Only Brush Up on Your Shakespeare falls a little flat, and only due to repeated repetition. 

Corbin Blue tears it up

 

Amanda Green is credited with the additional material, and her material turns the show from a relic that one is a bit embarrassed to enjoy, into a flat out fun study of the growth of love in both sexes. Admirably directed by Scott Ellis, who has experience with revivals like She Loves Me and You Can’t Take It With You, this production playfully pulls you in.

Kiss Me Kate

Music and Lyrics: Cole Porter | Book: Sam and Bella Spewack | Additional Material: Amada Green | Director: Scott Ellis | Cast: Kelli O’Hara, Will Chase, Corbin Blue, Stephanie Styles, Adrienne Walker, James T. Lane, John Pankow, Terence Archie, Mel Johnson Jr., Lance Coadie Williams

website 

Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase ignoring each other

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A Fantasia of Balkan Awaking (Gay Division)

What is the best way to present a tale of gay liberation in a very conservative society? If you want to reach a wide audience, and have them listen, then make it entertaining. The theater company Quendra Multimedia has done just that with 55 Shades of Gay: Balkan Spring of Sexual Revolution.

55 Shades is set in Kosovo, a small and struggling country, where European Union money comes with an expectation of European values. In a small town, Italian aid money supports the building of a new condom factory that will provide much needed jobs for the population. An Italian working on the project has fallen in love with a local Kosovan man and requests permission for marriage. The problem, they are both men in a deeply homophobic town and country.

The request for marriage sets off a furious search for some reason, any reason, to outlaw it. But the town mayor and then the country’s Prime Minister realize that the Constitution, created by the EU and signed to stop the war of independence from Serbia, includes a clause that allows marriage between couples of the same gender. 

To explore that frustration of the locals, the plays produces a series of vignettes, songs and media displays trying to distract the Italian from marrying the local man. That frustration is not reserved for the gay couple, but spreads to the European Union representatives that try to impose their values, the bourgeois artists that back the family laws of heterosexuality, and the Catholic and Muslim churches, finally united in opposition to something.

55 Shades is presented primarily in English with some Albanian and with English dialog is projected on the rear wall during the show. The 5 players are frenetic and focused, bringing a sense of energy and playfulness that softens the possible hard edges of the show. It is billed as a contemporary burlesque and uses the variety format to skewer the bigotry of the locals, the smugness of the EU and the stubbornness of everyone involved.

But first and foremost, the company knows this show has to entertain, and 55 Shades does a great job of it. The pace is fast and quick. Some of the techniques hit their mark excellently, like the tree outside the mayor’s office which listens on the proceedings and a few others don’t. But the play more often takes flight than not. It is definitely not a piece for those that like their shows deliberate and linear. But if you are looking for a flight of fun and expression of freedom, 55 Shades of Gay: Balkan Spring of Sexual Revolution provides that.

55 Shades of Gay: Balkan Spring of Sexual Revolution

Playwright: Jeton Neziraj | Director: Blerta Neziraj | Cast: Tristan Halilaj, Bujar Ahmeti, Shegyl Ismaili, Semira Latifi, Alketa Sylaj and Luan Durmishi (vocals)

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Superhero Fades in the Stretch

Superhero, premiering at the 2^nd Stage Theater, with a book by John Logan and music & lyrics by Tom Kitt (composer of Next to Normal) promises a heady ride. And the show starts off fast and interesting, before getting lost. The second half meanders around a bit before just running out of ideas. It is too bad because there is some amazing singing by Kate Baldwin and (one of my personal favorites) Bryce Pinkham. The debut of Kyle McArthur also starts out strong, before winding down.

Superhero is the story of a 15 young man – Simon (Kyle McArthur) trying to pull his high school life together after the death of his father and the remoteness of his mother (Kate Baldwin).  They have moved to a new city, generic high-rises and problems, where Simon attends school. Whenever he can he draws. He draws superheroes in comic stories that take off on the stage, an interesting idea that is used well early on. 

Kyle McArthur as Simon, in Superhero

Simon sleep-walks through life, looking up only to see the cute environmental activist at school (Salena Qureshi) and his comics. Until ... he happens to see his neighbor flatten a fire hydrant with a single punch. The elusive neighbor, Joe (Bryce Pinkham) might really be a superhero. After Joe gets closer by dating mom and befriending Simon, Joe admits (to Simon only) that he is a real Superhero. Sent from another planet to protect people of earth, when he can. We see Joe use super strength, and we see him bolt out on a beam of light.

Is Joe a sad, pathetically lonely man spinning stories to make friends? Is Joe mentally ill? Is Joe really a superhero?  Oddly, those questions don’t seem to matter in the story. Joe is ultimately unable to be there for Simon and mom because either, a) the demands on a superhero are constant or, b) he is too emotionally damaged to be physically available.

In any event, Joe flakes on being there for Simon and mom. He moves out of the city, and Simon and mom move on with their lives.  It isn’t much of a story for over 2 hours of theater. This is surprising because writer John Logan was the Tony winning writer of Red, and the screenwriter of Skyfall, Hugo and a host of other great stories. Superhero could use a rewrite, or use some deep trims. 

Kate Baldwin and Bryce Pinkham

The songs from the wonderful Tom Kitt are not wonderful. Kate Baldwin and Bryce Pinkham lend their amazing voices, but still can’t give most of these songs flight. A fantastic writer and fantastic composer have collaborated to give us a superhero story that is flat and boring.

I enjoyed Superhero, because listening to Kate Baldwin and Bryce Pinkham sing live, even not the best songs, is a thrill for me. But I cannot recommend it to others. The rewards are few, and spread out over a too long, too dull play.

SuperHero

Book: John Logan, Music & Lyrics: Tom Kitt | Director: Jason Moore | Cast: Julia Abueva, Kate Baldwin, Jake Levy, Kyle McArthur, Bryce Pinkham, Salena Qureshi, Thom Sesma, Nathaniel Stampley

All of the Words, None of the Tension

The Mint Theater Company produces some of the best early 20^th century plays ever. They stage lost plays that bring a new sensibility to today’s questions and morals. Usually. The Price of Thomas Scott, the Mint’s latest production, is a disappointment. The show is well-acted, beautifully staged and terribly predictable.

Tracy Swallows, Donald Corren and Emma Geer in The Price of Thomas Scott

The story is told through the eyes of Mr. Scott’s daughter, Annie Scott. She and her brother open the show hoping for a better life, but one they know that they cannot afford. The son, Leonard, has an opportunity for a scholarship, but he cannot afford the other costs of education. Annie longs to go to Paris to study fashion instead of just decorate hats for the puritanical women at home.

Thomas Scott, the father, would love to sell his little shop and move to the country with his wife. All of their prayers seem answered when and old acquaintance, Wicksteed, comes by with a handsome offer for the little shop. The offer is much more than the property is worth as a drapery, where the family works with hats and fabrics. But Wicksteed is purchasing for a concern that has dancing halls, and dancing is very much against Mr. Scott’s religion.

After a bit of give and take, Mr. Scott takes the offer. But he is uneasy. A few scenes later he turns down the offer. And that is the end of the show.

The Price of Thomas Scott is a quick turn, and again the acting is great. Director Jonathan Bank does a great job with the material. But the show doesn’t connect and there is a complete lack of tension. I wish it were different.

The Price of Thomas Scott 

Playwright: Elizabeth Baker | Director: Jonathan Bank | Cast: Donald Corren, Andrew Fallaize, Emma Geer, Josh Goulding, Mitch Greenberg, Nick LaMedica, Jay Russell, Tracy Swallows, Mark Kenneth Smaltz, Ayana Workman, Arielle Yoder

The Waiting Game Brings a Bit of the Fringe to New York

The Waiting Game now at 59 E 59 Theater is direct from an award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as Best Overseas Play. It is very much a Fringe play in that it is quickly paced, intelligent and demands a bit from an audience. When given its due, The Waiting Game is a rewarding and excellent piece of theater.

The Waiting Game explores how we hold on to people and experiences, and how we must proactively act to let them go. The story revolves around Paulo (a terrific Marc Sinoway). Paulo’s husband, Sam, lies in a coma in the hospital, brain dead, but his heart still beating a year after an overdose. Paulo is in a relationship of sorts with Tyler (Julian Joseph in a heartbreaking role). Tyler provides Paulo with companionship and sex while demanding very little in return. Paulo has trouble supplying even the little emotional support Tyler needs.

L-R: Marc Sinoway, Joshua Bouchard in THE WAITING GAME. Photo by Carol Rosegg

Paulo also must deal with Geoff (Joshua Bouchard), who was in a healthy relationship with Sam for at least a year before the overdose. Geoff believes that Sam was ready to leave Paulo and live with him, had the accidental overdose not occurred. Paulo resents the idea of Geoff much more than the reality of Geoff.  Geoff entered Paulo and Sam’s marriage as a sex partner, which was acceptable, but Sam and Geoff’s relationship grew, which was outside of the bounds of the agreement. Had Paulo and Sam’s relationship been healthy, the Geoff / Sam relationship would never have grown. As it is, Paulo resents Geoff, but doesn’t deny his importance in Sam’s world.

After waiting for Sam to leave Paulo, now Geoff is waiting for Paulo to let Sam go. Joshua Bouchard does a great job with the role of Geoff, who is sometimes very sympathetic and sometimes not sympathetic at all. On the other hand, Paulo is actively not sympathetic. Self-centered and callous, Paulo has channeled his hurt and confusion into anger and manipulativeness. He forces Tyler and Sam to jump through hoops, while offering very little in return.

The Waiting Game is not an easy play to love, as the pieces don’t fall neatly into place. It suggests emotions and forces the viewer to supply motivation. Why has Paulo retreated into himself? Is the casual drug use a symptom of Paulo’s pain, or was it the cause of Sam’s pain? Why is he such a dick to everyone? Having said that, I did love the show. I found the contradictions honest and raw.

Playwright Charles Gershman has crafted a unique vision at the crossroads of drug use, sex, marriage and HIV status. Nathan Wright has staged it interestingly and pulled out wonderful performances from the actors. It could have used a bit more dialog and a little less distracting stage business, that is where I think the straight transition from the Fringe environment hurts the result. But those are minor nits which are lost in the unique voice The Waiting Game brings.

The Waiting Game | Playwright: Charles Gershman | Director: Nathan Wright | Cast: Joshua Bouchard, Julian Joseph, Ibsen Santos, Marc Sinoway | website

Power Dynamics Laid Bare(foot)

Barefoot is an interesting new play at the the Gene Frankel Theater. As a new show, it has a few teething
problems, but it is generally great entertainment. Clocking in at a brisk pace with no intermission,
Barefoot grabs the viewer right off and propels you through the evening.

It is basically the story of Sylvia, on the cusp of marriage and a fiance that cheated on her. Sylvia
(Kate T. Billingsly) is a successful psychiatrist from Connecticut living in a high end New York
apartment. Her life has generally be very successful. But her world is skewed by the realization
that her fiance, Robert (Judah Tobais) has cheated on her with Teddy, a rather stunning blond
with a damaged psyche. Teddy is excellently by Elissa Klie. The most engaging moments of the
show happen in the first half with the interaction between Teddy and Sylvia. Sylvia’s tough veneer
is stripped raw by Teddy’s confidence and Sylvia’ insecurities. More than that, the two women find
both camaraderie and betrayal in the details of Teddy and Robert’s story.

Elissa Klie, Judah Tobias, Kate T. Billingsley and Will Rosenfelt in Barefoot

Robert played the part of confidant and pursuer in the relationship, but Teddy was aware he was
engaged before these two had sex, and so she was complicit in the betrayal of Sylvia.

While the two women argue and bond, Robert and Marc, Teddy’s fiance, arrive. Robert is apologetic,
while Marc (Will Rosenfelt) is aggressively angry and unapologetic. These two characters are a bit u
nderdrawn, both are caricatures of the duality of male role models, wimp and bully. Ordering a pizza,
a bisexual pizza boy, Chet (Tent Cox), enters the mix to question the sexuality of Robert / the wimp.

The odd personal dynamics of the foursome is reigned back in when Teddy and Sylvia assert control
and the men are kicked out of the apartment.

Directed by Thomas C Waites, Barefoot moves well and brings both laughter and tension easily.
The show would benefit from some tightening and maybe less stereotypical behavior. There are
many moments that felt very honest and real, and some other moments that seem forced. The
acting is generally very good, with excellent turns by the women, who were giving more range to
work with.

Barefoot is a nice little show in an intimate space. The more often it is presented, I have a feeling the better it
will be. It’s limited run allowed few previews. I enjoyed it when it was great, and wanted it to be stronger
where it faltered. Rooting for a show is a sign of involvement and a key to success. You should see it,
it is a great value, and we will be hearing more from this writer in the future.

Barefoot | Playwright: Kate T. Billingsley & Thomas G. Waites, Director: Thomas C. Waites | Cast: Kate T. Billinsgley, Elissa Klie, Judah Barak Tobias, Will Rosefelt, Trent Cox

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