The Hole (The Layre/Theatre at St. Clements)

By Le-Anne

FIVE POINTS OR LESS:
Full frontal male nudity and shirtless guysA bunch of sex stuffs (You even get to see a good number of the sex positions you know and love acted out in the background during a sentimental song. Ahh...how romantic...)A musical comedy for adults onlyDefinitely not PC

BOTTOM LINE: If you like musicals, drag shows, and some good ol' gratuitous silliness then you’ll like this show.

Kaitlin Monte, Joey Murray & Scott Martin in The Hole.

Eager to see The Hole, I entered the lobby of The Theatre at St. Clements and was greeted by a beautiful body in a tiny black Speedo. Immediately, I knew what I was getting myself into. “Must be a family show,” I nodded to myself, “a big, gay, drug-filled, prostitute-loving, naked-man-baring, innuendo-laden, melodramatic, family show.” More or less, I was right. By more, I mean there was much more chiseled man-body to be seen. And by less, I mean less than a teeny, tiny Speedo was worn. Oh! And, I almost forgot, there’s singing, lots and lots of singing. The Hole, filled with many mostly-naked men, one crazy little lesbian, and a bitchy drag queen, is not incredibly deep but it’s a good time.

Glam rock Nicky, (Joey Murray), is a struggling actor living in the city. His best friend, Nadia, (Kaitlin Monte), is a prostitute, enabler, and isn't going to win mother of the year anytime soon. They get wasted and pop on down to their favorite East Village club of debauchery, The Hole, where Didi (Stephanie Spano), who is crazy-mad-in-horny-love with Nadia, is spinning. Nicky’s arch nemesis, Phil, (Alex Michaels), aka “Queen LaQueefa,” is performing that night. From there, things get a little absurd. Well, actually, things got absurd long before that when Nadia “forgot” she had a baby (no one even noticed that she was pregnant in the first place). The absurdity continues when they check the baby (Xavier Rice) at the door with the Tourette Syndrome coat check boy (Ari Gold) then, after they watch LaQueefa’s drag show, they spill an 8-ball of coke on the bathroom floor, on which various people proceed to have various forms of sex in various positions, then some people die and go to gold lamay heaven. The end.

Murray (who also wrote the book) is a solid performer. Charming with great comedic timing, he knows how to run with a campy joke. My favorite moments were the glimpses of sincerity that slipped into his performance. Spano simply steals the show with her earnest, heart wrenching, rendition of the song “One Heart, One Bitch.” The girl’s got pipes and acting chops to boot. I mean, she made the question, “Can I land on your landing strip?” sound like the most romantic proposal in the world, come on! Michaels as Phil/Queen LaQueefa is superb. Like the recently late, always great, Patrick Swayze as Vida in “To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar,” Michaels plays LaQueefa as a woman, not a man playing a woman. (And, girl, his make-up is flawless!)

The music, by Robert Baumgartner Jr., (additional lyrics by Heidi Heilig), is fun with some tight composition and a handful of damned good songs, especially the group numbers, “Ready to Go,” “Fucking Disaster,” Phil’s “Guttersnipe, Nightlife” and the aforementioned, “One Heart, One Bitch.” This show isn’t going to change anyone’s life but I don’t think it’s meant to. The performances are great, the story is nonsensical fun, and the music is good (great band, by the way including Justin Hosek on bass, Kurt Gellersted on guitar, Andrew Potenza on drums, and Baumgartner on keyboard).

In this play, no one is safe and nothing is sacred. It’s a ridiculous musical comedy that sometimes, even though it’s done well, borders on a little too much camp, (much like LaQueefa advises Nicky about his eyeliner, less is more, darling). Nevertheless, in the end, The Hole is one hell of a fun time. (I know, I know. I couldn’t resist!)

(The Hole is no longer running.)

World Premiere of EN by dance troupe COBU (Theater for the New City)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS:
rhythmic dance show • jaw-dropping talent • limited engagement! (But they tour throughout the country so check out their website.) • fun for the whole family (There was even a toddler sitting in front of me and she was loving it!) • insanely talented (Did I say that already?)

BOTTOM LINE: A truly unique style - a fusion of funk, hip hop, tap, and traditional Japanese taiko drums. If you like shows like STOMP, Fuerzabruta, Cirque Du Soleil, etc., though it's quite different from them, you'll like this. Outstanding talent, it is apparent that the word “mediocre” is not in COBU’s dictionary.

Last night, I watched some of New York City’s top athletes perform. No, it was not the Yankees. Not the Mets. It did not happen on a field, on a court, or in a ring but on a stage. Armed with sticks, drums, and taps on their feet, COBU tore it up in their world premiere of EN. COBU, (which means “Dance like drumming. Drum like dancing” in Japanese), combine traditional taiko drums, tap dancing, and martial arts with hip hop flavor to create an experience like no other. The energy they create is electrifying. If you think of traditional Japanese performance as slowly moving people in silk robes and white make-up and if you think of tap dance as cheesy smiles and 42nd Street, then you best think again and let the ladies of COBU show you how it's done. An impressive set, lighting design and costumes, together with stellar choreography and explosive talent, EN is a show not to be missed.

The mood is set immediately upon entering the theatre. Something strangely East meets West, old meets new, refined yet raw is suggested by Yukinobu Okazaki’s striking set design. A towering white circle with Japanese symbols painted in black, flanked by angular archways made of wood ripped from the Old West, and surrounded by perfect, shiny, taiko drums lays the foundation for what is about to take place.

The theatre goes pitch black, then slowly a glimmer of light. Is it the reflection of water or could it be the glint of a fire growing? The light dances, slowly intensifying, as does the sound of a single drum pounding. The silhouette of five dark figures can barely be seen. They seem to come from nowhere, or everywhere, as does the sound of the lone drum. Then in a flash of light and sound a sixth figure appears as a symphony of beats begin. The lighting designs of Ayumu “Poe” Saegusa highlight the sounds and the dance beautifully, as if the light is another dancer on the stage. The dancers are adorned in a various costumes that are a mix of traditional fabrics and robes, with New York T-shirts, bits of fur, and funky hair styles. The look of the show mirrors the sounds of the performance: hip, fun, sexy, fresh, rooted in strength and tradition.

Using the taiko drums, tap, body clap, shamisen (a Japanese three-stringed instrument, similar to a guitar), voice, and even sign language, twenty different songs are shared throughout the evening. COBU creates something magical. With passion and soul they hoof, stomping their feet, and cut and thrust through the air with their drumsticks. In the song titled “Combat,” martial arts stick fighting adds another element to the beating of the drums and taps. One song, titled “Dorcus,” (where the taiko drums are placed horizontally), even managed to draw a tear or two from my eye. The beat of the drum reaches deep within, reverberating within the body, deep in the chest cavity, the taps race the heartbeat, the sticks hit the air. Then, without warning, during the briefest moment of silence I felt something wet on my cheek. I have no idea why. But, as Yako Miyamoto, (creator of COBU and performer/choreographer of EN), told me in a recent interview it’s not about knowing, it’s about feeling. And there is no right or wrong way to feel.

I wish COBU had a permanent home in NYC. EN is exactly the type of show that could easily become an NYC staple, the show that one brings out-of-town guests to see for a real “New York” experience. Working seamlessly together, the ensemble consists of Miyamoto, Hana Ogata, Yuki Yamamori, Micro Fukuyama, Haruna Hisada, Nozomi Gunji and supporting member Yoko Ogawa. Each member brings a unique individuality to the show yet the group clearly shares the beat of one heart. They are ridiculously strong (seriously, one of the most physically demanding shows I have ever seen), body and soul. A wonderful collaboration of spirit and fun, this COBU makes EN a show not to miss.

(EN plays September 19th at 8pm and September 20th at 3pm and 7pm. They will return to New York to play the Madison Avenue Festival on December 6th. Performances are at Theatre for the New City, 155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets. The show runs 80 minutes. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at theatremania.com or by calling 212-352-3101. For more information on COBU, visit www.COBU.us.)

Theasy Interview with COBU founder Yako Miyamoto

By Le-Anne

After speaking with Yako Miyamoto, the artistic director, founder, and creator of rhythmic dance company, COBU, I can’t tell you how excited I am to see COBU’s newest show, EN. Miyamoto is not only the creator of COBU but she is also a current cast member of the off-Broadway hit Stomp. It’s been said of COBU’s previous shows that one does not need to understand English nor Japanese to understand the show. Miyamoto’s zest for life and ability to communicate through nonverbal expression is a testament to that. It is clear that this talented artist has a great passion for life and her work, and she shares that with the world through COBU.

How did you come up with the name COBU?
Cobu has two words. “Co” means “drumming” and “Bu” means “dancing.” My combination means, “Dance like drumming. Drum like dancing.” The two words together express my style. “Cobu” has a different meaning too. [It means] “cheer up the people.” In Japanese one word has one meaning but two words [put] together has [sic] a different meaning. So, [just] like [with] drumming and dancing, [when you put them] together [you] cheer up everyone!

What inspired you to form COBU?
I started to play the tradition Japanese taiko drums since I was eight years old in Japan and I went to New Zealand to play taiko at ten years old. I want to express Japanese soul and Japanese culture. Young people [think] Japanese culture is so old. It’s not cool. But I feel Japanese tradition is kind of hot! And American culture is so cool. Traditional is traditional [but] it’s not my style. Hip hop is hip hop [but] it’s not my style. I want to combine all of them. Hip hop culture together [with] the traditional culture.

Kind of bridge the gap between the different cultures?
Yeah. [Everyone has] different feelings but [we all] feel the same beat.

East meets West?
Yes, but it starts with West.

What made you want to form your own company?
I just performed by myself. And after a show, a girl, (now fellow COBU ensemble member, Hana Ogata), saw me and she said, “I want to perform with you” and I was like, “OK, we can play together and do competition.” I didn’t say, “OK I want to come to America and make an artistic, rhythmic, group.” Not like that.

Why did you come to America?
At university I started tap dancing. But I couldn’t find a teacher so I came to New York City to take a class from Savion Glover. And I was like, “OK, this is great!” Before I met tap dance I was just dancing with music but [now that I know] tap dance I can dance with my [own] music. That was a great experience.

Did you meet your company members in Japan?
No, everybody asks me. But we met in New York City.

How many company members are there?
Six.

All women?
Yep, all women.

Is it always women?
About five years ago we had a boy but now it’s all women.

Is that on purpose or is it just how it happened?
It just happened. But the last four years we’ve been all women. It’s a great feeling.

Do you hold open auditions? How do you acquire new company members?
Sometimes, once a year, we have an audition. But I don’t announce a lot. I just announce at the preview of my own show. So if they see my show and they really want to do it, just call to get an audition.

How many years has COBU been together as a company?
Ten years. Since, January 1st, 2000...wow, that’s a long time!

So you formed COBU before you were in the cast of Stomp?
That’s right.

Did somebody see COBU and ask you to be in Stomp?
Somebody sent me an e-mail. He saw a COBU show and [said], “You should be in the stomp.” I got the audition information from him. Then I took an audition. Finally, after the audition [I found out] he was just an audience [member]. He is not on the Stomp staff or crew.

Are you still performing in shows with Stomp while you are working on COBU shows?
Yes, I’m doing both of them.

Now, did you learn hip hop in the States or in Japan?
I was at Keio University in Japan, actually my major was chemistry. [That is when] I realized that I loved hip hop dancing. From age 18 to 22 I was a hip-hop dancer. I danced in music videos. Hip hop music has a “psch psch psch psch” beat that sounds for [sic] me like taiko drumming. That, “bosch chka bosch chka bosch” sound. I love taiko drumming. I love taiko drum beats but I didn’t feel exactly like “oh, this is it [for me].” [I wanted to use] taiko drumming [with] that hip hop beat with tap dance. Tap beat is like, “...” (ummm...insane beat-boxing that this interviewer can’t even begin to figure out how to type phonetically!)

(I’m left speechless, clearly in awe of this incredible display of rhythmic talent. We both simply laugh together.)
I’m not good at explain [sic] my work, even in Japanese. I [have difficulty] explaining with words. I just beat to explain something.

The form of expression that you use to tell a story is through sounds and not words. Do you find it difficult to express what you do in words?
Yes. I can hear [the] drum. To explain something, I express through my feeling and I choose my beat. My beat can feel something. So, I choose to make a beat. Make a rhythm. That’s easier for me.

Speaking of stories, you have the world premiere of you show, EN, coming up soon. What is EN about?
It is a story but not like, “I went to the park....” Not like that. I have a fixed performance with my group, it’s the same cast, same beat, same rhythm but every night is a little different, their feeling is [sic] different. It’s alive. And after [each] show each audience [member] has a different feeling. People send me emails [telling me what they took from the show]. I’m one part of the dance but each audience [member] have [sic] their own part of the dance and each performer has one part of the dance. I choreographed the show but I can’t control [the story].

There is no set story because the story is different for everyone?
Yes. After the show, we have a question and answer sheet. The audience write what [they] feel. Sometimes [they are] in [the] same theatre [at the] same show but they feel exact different feelings. Just listen, “poh chk poh chk chk chk poh chk poh.” [Some people hear that and] they feel [like] crying, [for other people] something inside [them] is smiling, some of them feel it’s like a bird in the sky, and some of them feel like I am crying. Everybody’s got a different way and a different feeling and they can have it all from [watching] my show. It’s such a good experience for me. Every time [I perform], the audience shows me a lot of things.

By the way, did you finish your chemistry degree?
No. Not yet.

Well, it seems like you’re doing OK without it!

(EN plays September 17th at 8pm, September 18th at 3pm and 8pm, September 19th at 8pm and September 20th at 3pm and 7pm. Performances are at Theatre for the New City, 155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets. The show runs 80 minutes. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at theatremania.com or by calling 212-352-3101. For more information on COBU, visit www.COBU.us. Check back to Theasy soon for a review of the show.)

A Lifetime Burning (Primary Stages)

By Le-Anne

FIVE POINTS OR LESS
great ensemble • furniture and architecture is another character • a fictional story based on a true story about a woman who fictionalizes her “true” story • more important than the plot, it’s an interesting study in relationships and truth • flashbacks

Jennifer Westfeldt, left, and Christina Kirk in A Lifetime Burning. Photo by Sara Krulwich.

BOTTOM LINE: An interesting, well-told story of relationships, life, and the truth therein. A woman makes up her own story in an attempt to salvage her life.

Have you ever wished you could reinvent yourself? Have you contemplated what your life would be like if only this or that had or hadn’t happened to you? A fruitless wonder...that is of course...unless you succeed. Cusi Cram’s A Lifetime Burning stars Jennifer Westfeldt as Emma, a young, spoiled but troubled woman who decides to reinvent her life and call it a memoir, and Christina Kirk as Tess, her older sister, who calls her out on it. The play opens in a gorgeous, modern, newly decorated loft (thanks to a hefty advance from a book publisher) with a stunned, stuttering Tess berating Emma for her bold-faced lies. From there we learn that truth is stranger than fiction. Loyalty, truth and the questions of normalcy in life are all included in Cram’s compelling story. With excellent performances and expert direction, A Lifetime Burning is a play to ponder.

The plot is loosely based on the real-life scandal of Margaret Seltzer, a woman who wrote a critically acclaimed memoir of her life as a mixed ethnicity gang member in South Central L.A., raised by foster families and gang-bangers. Shortly after its release, Seltzer’s sister contacted the publisher and revealed the entire memoir as fiction. In A Lifetime Burning, Emma is a trust-fund baby who volunteers as a tutor for underprivileged youths. When Emma takes their truths and makes them her own, Tess is outraged, asking Emma what she thinks will happen when everyone discovers the truth? Emma retorts with “What is truth?” An existential conundrum that sends Tess reeling.

Cram’s dialogue quips along and is loaded with observational and social humor as well as depth. For example, at one moment Emma proclaims she is an “alcorexic,” a modern woman who spends her caloric intake drinking alcohol rather than eating, then later she shares the disheartening realization that she can’t even make up a happy ending for herself. Another example is when one character poignantly points out that memoirs became more popular than novels when the American imagination failed. It is Cram’s naturalistic dialogue and keen awareness of not only social modes but human psychology, the ups and downs, that make her characters so well-rounded.

Bringing those characters to life beautifully are the four stellar actors that make up the ensemble. Kirk and Westfeldt are yin and yang in flaxen hair and designer duds. A perfect balance, bouncing off one another, matching but never overpowering until one of them goes in for the win. When Kirk is on fire, Westfeldt is cool. When Westfeldt is teetering, Kirk is as steady as a sniper. While they exhibit anger toward each other, there is a sisterly love that both fuels and quenches the fire of their rivalry.

Rounding out the story are Raul Castillo as Alejandro and Isabel Keating as Lydia Freemantle. Castillo grounds the cast in something more somber and simple. While his character’s upbringing is untamed and represents something the opposite of trust-funds and refined living, Castillo is quiet, solid, and strong. This is a stark contrast to the sisters who although they are as cultivated as can be, yell at each other, have unstable lives, and are fragile even though they hide it quite well from each other. Keating, on the other hand, is as cool as a cucumber. The modern, self-sufficient, epitome of success, she is everything the two sisters wish they were and nothing that they are. Waltzing in like the Queen of England and meaning it, Keating owned the stage with a such a commanding presence that even the designer Zeisel coffee table bowed to her. Her comedic timing is flawless and she brings an underplayed humor to lighten weighty moments.

Director Pam MacKinnon seamlessly weaves between the present and flashbacks within the story. Details such as which wine bottle exists in the present and which wine bottle is a figment of the past are so specific that the dreamlike state of flashback and memory moments are as clean as a dissolve on film, (aided by a beautiful lighting design by David Weiner). MacKinnon’s decision to have the characters remain on stage as they watch the memories unfold is powerful and surreal, while still being grounded in realism. Her pacing is to be applauded. She handles this script with such ease that you forget that there was a director shaping it all because everything was so clean and never seemed premeditated.

A quality production, A Lifetime Burning is a play told by a collaborative team of great storytellers. We all acquire a million stories in each of our pasts that create the memories of life. A life of truth in lies and lies in truth, “half love, half hope, half true” (lyrics from One Less Reason’s, A Lifetime Burning). Each story of the past gives way to the next, creating the moments, maybe even the memoirs, of a person’s life. “All our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle,” - but until then, as Cram testifies, it remains a lifetime burning.

(A Lifetime Burning plays at Primary Stages, 59E59 Theaters, Theatre A, 59 East 59th Street between Madison & Park. The show plays through September 5, Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm, also Wednesday & Saturday at 2pm. The show runs 1 hour 15 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $60. For tickets and more info visit www.primarystages.org).

THE AMORALISTS (August Featured Theatre Company)

By Le-Anne

Recently, I had the good fortune of sitting down with the members of the up-and-coming theatre company, The Amoralists. (See the Theasy review of The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side. The show has been extended through Aug. 17th). The four American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni had a lot to say. They are an interesting bunch with a lot of great stories and innovative ideas. Here is a mere sampling of what they shared.

The company’s been around since December of 2006, but Meghan you just recently joined the team this year?
JAMES KAUTZ - She’s seen all of our shows, as a friend.
MEGHAN RITCHIE - I’ve known them for years. I’m a big fan and I was Derek’s assistant director in the fall.
DEREK AHONEN - We have a different assistant director for each show. Then there’s a good chance that somebody can come in and collaborate with us. We had our first intern on this last show. She worked out great.
MATTHEW PILIECI - We’re expanding as a company by working with friends, people who know how we work, and have worked with us before.

How did the company begin?
AHONEN - On a trip to LA we were debating whether to move out to LA or stay here...
PILIECI - and what the hell to do with our lives.
AHONEN - We took a couple grand and drove to Vegas with the hopes of winning fifty thousand dollars to start a company.
KAUTZ - We were absolutely convinced that we were gonna win.
PILIECI - We already had it spent.
KAUTZ - What our productions were gonna be, all that kind of thing. We walked into the first casino, Matt walks up to a roulette table, throws fifty dollars down, bets it on black.
PILIECI - Lost it.
KAUTZ - And that set the tone for the weekend.
PILIECI - We spent the rest of the weekend losing more money and drinking apple martinis. (laughter)
KAUTZ - Then on the drive back we all kinda looked at each other and were like “Fuck it. Let’s just start this.”

Matthiew Pilieci, James Kautz, Derek Ahonen. Not pictured: Meghan Ritchie. Photo by Krissy Rowe.

What were your first steps when you came back. Was it a slow process?
AHONEN- Not really. We got back and we dove in head first. I had a play. It was just a matter of getting the money together.

What was the play?
AHONEN - While Chasing The Fantastic. It’s probably the most experimental thing we’ve done in the sense that it jumped around in time and played with the boundaries of reality as opposed to the other things we’ve done which have been so straight forward, in your face, and confrontational. It went really well but no one saw it.
PILIECI - Our friends saw it.
KAUTZ - We made every possible mistake you could.

Like what?
PILIECI - Getting a nonexclusive space, number one.
AHONEN - Wrong PR people.
PILIECI - We got PR people that are used to dealing with, like, banks.
AHONEN - They had no theatre connections. Out of our own frustration, we made a contact with some company that you had to pay twenty dollars to get a review.
PILIECI - And when we got it, we thought we were stars!
KAUTZ - Then we did our homework.
AHONEN - We followed the press for shows we liked and were like, “Who’s doing press for them?”

The Amoralists have gained a lot more press recently.
AHONEN - Yeah. The bigger the press the more people it brings in. But it doesn’t matter what level it’s coming from. When the reviewer is fair and objective then it’s great.
KAUTZ - Reviews are a beautiful way to get people to see your play. That’s all we really want. We want people to come and see these shows.

In 2007 they were pretty hard on you and in 2009 almost every review is glowing. AHONEN - We’ve had a couple harsh reviews this summer.
PILIECI - New York press is real harsh.
KAUTZ -Love us or hate us, you gotta feel something for us. When we first started, we were fully prepared for that.

The Pied Pipers is not really part of the PS 122 season.
RITCHIE - We’re a rental.
AHONEN - Shoshona Currier (PS 122 Programming Associate) had seen [the original production of The Pied Pipers] and we talked to her about coming in there with a play and she was really open to it.

Some reviewers have criticized The Pied Pipers for the use of nudity, political views, and for being didactic or even pedantic at times.
PILIECI - Are you calling the nudity pedantic?
(laughter)
AHONEN - Some people make up their mind that they’re not gonna like a piece, then they pick out flaws. Nothing’s perfect. We’re not writing perfect plays.
KAUTZ - I was in a bar two nights ago and the bartender was talking about The Pied Pipers and he was like, “So that’s kind of The Amoralist view, right? The very radical, leftist, kind of view? That’s your thing? All your plays are about that?” And I looked at him and I’m like, “No, not at all. Most of our plays have nothing to do with politics.” There’s all kinds of social, American, commentary in all of them. That’s a thread.
AHONEN - The play that we did after The Pied Pipers, the first time, is a drama about a family of cops whose matriarch was murdered. They’re tough, right-winged, racists, everything the Pied Pipers are not.

What do you think about the articles out there that say “they’re ready for Broadway?”
PILIECI - Unfortunately, Broadway’s a star vehicle right now.
KAUTZ - I’d be afraid of putting our work in the hands of some “Money Man” who wants to change or control things. This play is not gonna work if [Matt doesn’t] come out naked, with an erection.
AHONEN - It wouldn’t work without the erection?! The whole thing wouldn’t work at all? (laughter)
PILIECI - The whole thing!
(laughter)
AHONEN - It’s hanging in the balance of Matt’s unit.
PILIECI - Somebody would take this to Broadway and fire me and you.
KAUTZ - And hire Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and we’re fucked.
PILIECI - Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off Broadway. It doesn’t matter as long as the product is good.
RITCHIE - A lot of off-Broadway stuff is really great. Broadway is just so difficult to market that it’s not necessarily the big goal for a lot of companies [like ours], at the moment. Unless you’re a big musical, it’s a really difficult place to be.

What is the big goal?
AHONEN - A bigger audience base. We’d love to have our own, permanent, theatre.
RITCHIE - And not have to go buy things off our own credit cards. It would be nice to have a good size budget.
AHONEN - The reason that we extended [The Pied Pipers] - we sold out the last two weeks and we didn’t know anybody [in the audience], we’re like, “You don’t close a show that’s selling out.” We have our own product and if it could make money...
KAUTZ - That’s the thing that I’m most excited about - people are coming [to see Amoralists’ shows].

How did you come up with the name The Amoralists? Not to be confused with Immoralists, which is...
KAUTZ - Completely different. And it seems like some of the reviews may have confused the two.
PILIECI - Yeah.
AHONEN - We were originally gonna call our company Seventies Film On Stage but then we worried people were gonna think we’re doing "Serpico". But it’s the qualities in those movies. PILIECI - You know "Dog Day Afternoon?" That’s kinda us.
AHONEN - We started off as Tribe For The Huddled Masses.
(RITCHIE chuckles)
AHONEN - Which was cool for us but it’s a not really a good name for a theatre company. Everything that we [came up with] was too limiting, or too weird, or too long. One day, Matt was like “What about The Amoralists?”
PILIECI - I wanted it to sound like a band!

It really just came out of the blue like that?
KAUTZ - Well, no, we figured out what we liked about “Dog Day Afternoon” or “Taxi Driver” or all these other movies. What was it about the characters that was so fascinating? It was this human quality presented in a way that wasn’t judgmental.
PILIECI - It was amoral.

Do you find that a lot of things nowadays are judgmental?
PILIECI- I feel like our society, in general, is very quick to judge. And that goes across the board from art to people.
KAUTZ - Art is then produced to cater to that and to profit from that.
PILIECI- And we try to get away from that a little bit.

For more info check out The Amoralists on MySpace, Facebook, and at www.theamoralists.com.

Want your theatre company to be featured on Theatre Is Easy? Email molly@theatreiseasy.com for more information.

Twelfth Night (Shakespeare in the Park)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS
Audra McDonald - yes • Hamish Linklater - yes • original music • Anne Hathaway holds her own and will definitely please her fans and create new ones • see it

Anne Hathaway and Raul Esparza in Twelfth Night. Photo by Sara Krulwich (NY times).

BOTTOM LINE: Totally worth the wait in line. (Besides, the waiting in line is half the fun and a unique NYC experience.)

I can think of no better way to spend a summer evening in New York City than enjoying a night of free, expertly produced, Shakespeare at Central Park’s Delacorte Theatre. Revered as one of the nation's premier producers of Shakespeare’s works, the Public Theatre continues the tradition this summer with Twelfth Night. In keeping with their practice of garnering a broader audience by using high profile names, Academy Award nominee and one of tinsel town’s young favorites, Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married, The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries), headlines as Viola. Additional box office pull comes from four-time Tony Award winning actress Audra McDonald (Master Class, A Raisin in the Sun, television’s “Private Practice”) as Olivia, and three-time Tony Award nominee Raul Esparza (Company, Speed The Plow) as Orsino. The cast is littered with even more recognizable names and faces and to my pleasure they are mostly stellar.

Hathaway, while given top billing, is perhaps the weakest link in a platinum chain. That being said however, given the fact that this is her first large-scale stage production and she’s opening with A) Shakespeare and B) a cast chock full of incredibly experienced, many classically trained, award winning stage actors, you simply have to give the girl credit for her gutsiness. The lady’s got balls, ummm...no pun intended.

Hathaway’s character, Viola, is forced to cross-dress as a man after being shipwrecked, losing her twin brother to the angry sea, and landing on the shores of Illyria. Because the noblewoman of the land Olivia (McDonald) is mourning the loss of her own brother, she refuses to meet any strangers. Therefore, Viola’s only choice is to disguise herself as a young man, named Cesario, and work for the nobleman of the land, Orsino (Esparza), who is busy pining over Olivia. Things get sticky when Viola realizes she has fallen in love with Orsino (who is under the impression that she is a young man) and even stickier when Olivia develops a crush on Viola (disguised as Cesario).

Meanwhile, Olivia’s servant Maria (Julie White, Tony Award winner for The Little Dog Laughed), clown Feste (David Pittu, LoveMusik and The Coast of Utopia), Sir Toby Belch (Jay O. Sanders, Pygmalion and Loose Ends), and his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Hamish Linklater, The Public’s 2008 summer presentation of Hamlet, TV’s The New Adventures of Old Christine), conspire to make Olivia’s straight-laced steward Malvolio (Michael Cumpsty, Sunday in the Park with George) look like a fool.

Seriously, with a cast like this guided by established Broadway director Daniel Sullivan, how can this show go wrong? Okay, I take that back a little. It’s Shakespeare filled with “names” so lots can go wrong...but it doesn’t! This entire ensemble is outstanding. McDonald is fantastic. A more enjoyable Olivia I have never seen. Her nuances, facial expressions, reactions and use of the text are one of a kind. She proves her already award-winning chops in this. Linklater also deserves special mention. His distinctive voice, use of his lanky frame to exhibit superb physical humor, and his comedic prowess are simply expert. Both McDonald and Linklater may have spoiled me for any future Olivias or Aguecheeks.

Stealing the show along with McDonald and Linklater are White, Sanders and Cumpsty. Also, fight director Rick Sordelet (remember him from Theasy’s Caligula review last winter?) shows off some awesome, clever, and exciting fight choreography. Lastly, original music arranged by Greg Pliska provides an opportunity for McDonald, Esparza, and Pittu to showcase their award winning pipes and incidentally, in case you didn’t hear her sing when she recently hosted SNL, Hathaway also has a beautiful singing voice to share with the audience.

Hathaway is charming, attractive, smart, and even though she cries a bit too much for my taste, she holds her own. Even by the end of the performance, she was ten-times stronger than at the beginning. I have full confidence that this actress will grow tenfold again by the time the production closes. What’s wonderful for Hathaway is that she is in such great company, she has no choice but to join their high ranks, and she is a strong enough actress to do so. One of the great things about live theatre is that you, the audience, truly grow right along with the actor(s) on stage and by the end of the show everyone, on stage and off, is just a little bit older and wiser.

If you have never seen Shakespeare performed before this would be an excellent place to start. If you’ve only seen so-so, or bad Shakespeare done before, then it’s high time you wait in line for some free tix.

(Twelfth Night, or What You Will runs now through July 12th. Added performance: July 6
No performance: July 4, Limited ticket distribution: June 16, July 9. The show plays at the Delacorte Theater (located in Central Park at 81st Street) Tuesday through Sunday at 8 pm. It is approximately 3 hours with one 15 min. intermission. For tickets, wait in line at the Delacorte Theater or register at www.publictheater.org. Arrive early!)

Paved Paradise Redux: The Art of Joni Mitchell (Abrons Art Center Henry Street Settlement, TWEED TheaterWorks)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS

so much more than a “Drag” show • great performance • beautiful renditions of beautiful songs in a live concert setting • powerful • fun

John Kelly as Joni Mitchell. Photo by Paula Court.

BOTTOM LINE: If you like Joni Mitchell or if you like a good concert, you’ll probably like this show.

Okay, so I’m a little embarrassed to say that before this weekend the only familiarity I had with Joni Mitchell was from the movie Love Actually and every once in a while I’d find out that a song I heard on the radio was a cover of a Joni Mitchell song - like Counting Crows version of “Big Yellow Taxi." I don’t remember which, if any, Joni Mitchell songs were in “Love Actually,” (I only remember that Emma Thompson’s character is a big Joni fan), and since “Big Yellow Taxi” is not in Jonn Kelly’s Paved Paradise Redux: The Art of Joni Mitchell, (apparently it was in the original production but is absent in the redux), I must admit, that I went into this experience at the Abrons Arts Center Henry Street Settlement a veritable (gasp!) Joni Mitchell virgin. I walked out however, a newfound fan, not only of Ms. Mitchell but of Mr. John Kelly as well.

Kelly embodies Mitchell in this concert-like performance, not as a drag queen but, more accurately, as an actor taking on the role of a character named Joni Mitchell. Kelly as Mitchell is neither campy nor busy impersonating a female, he is simply honest in his portrayal. Though I was not familiar with Mitchell’s particular “isms” before, by the time the show was over I was pretty certain that Kelly was spot-on. If nothing else the uproarious laughter from the audience (clearly laden with Joni fans) was a good indicator. Thanks to Youtube, I can confirm that Kelly does indeed do Ms. Mitchell justice. His little quirks, such as specific facial expressions and a rambling way of telling anecdotes that trail off unfinished are not gimmicky but, more so, funny because it’s true. For example, when Kelly went up on a lyric he cleverly, and without skipping a beat, apologized and said, “I wasn’t flying,” he said, “I was driving,” before he restarted the song he continued, “I was imagining myself in a plane -- in the third plane from the left...” he trailed off and began the song again. Even though I knew nothing of how Mitchell behaves, (before checking out several Youtube clips), it was clear that Kelly’s choices were grounded in something real. Kelly performs with comfort. He clearly respects his muse, as well as his audience, and his performance is genuine.

Speaking of performance, this man’s voice is outrageous. Kelly sings Mitchell’s songs in their original key and hits even the highest notes with ease. He slides effortlessly back and forth between earthy, warm notes to fluid, high notes that seem to hit the clouds. Note that this reviewer, a mezzo-soprano, wonders if she could hit them so easily herself. Kelly has a beautiful counter tenor that has that strange, seductive quality that tends to accompany such androgynous voices. Kelly’s rendition of “Amelia” - my new favorite song for the moment - brought tears to my eyes, and his “4th of July - Night Ride Home,” is particularly moving. Another song, “Circle Game,” which closes the first act, was complete with disco ball as the audience was asked to join in and sing along.

Like Mitchell, Kelly plays the dulcimer and the guitar, and even enjoys a cigarette during the “concert.” Adding to the concert are Vincent Van Gogh (Paul Ossola) on bass and Georgia O’Keefe (Zecca Esquibel, also Musical Director) on piano and keyboards. The lighting design (Ben Kato) truly sets the mood of a live concert. Strong colors, streaks of light through a smokey haze, backlighting and a beautiful silhouette effect at the end of the show when Kelly disrobes, transforming before his audience from Joni to John, really takes the breath away (a bit of a spoiler alert, I know, but this moment is just beautiful). While the element of surprise is nice, it is so touching that I am confident that knowing about it ahead of time will not make it any less powerful.

Joni Mitchell, herself, is said to be one of John Kelly’s biggest fans. After seeing Kelly’s performance, now I am a fan of both of them. If you are a Joni Mitchell fan you should check out Mr. Kelly’s homage. If you are, like I was, rather unfamiliar with Ms. Mitchell but you enjoy a good concert and a genuine performance, by all means, hop on down to the Abrons Arts Center and check out John Kelly in Paved Paradise Redux: The Art of Joni Mitchell. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to log on to iTunes and purchase my first Joni Mitchell album!

*Special Note: The producer, TWEED TheaterWorks extends a special invitation to Dine al Fresco with Joni, “well not exactly with Joni -- and not exactly Joni -- but...” they have announced that, “they are in cahoots with several high end food trucks -- including Vincent’s Pizza (from Union Square) and The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, among others, to show up and feed the hungry throngs. There is an open air plaza [at the Abrons Arts Center] with tables and chairs and diners are encouraged to show up at 6:30PM AND HAVE DINNER AL FRESCO BEFORE THE SHOW (there is indoor space in case of inclement weather!)”

(PAVED PARADISE REDUX: THE ART OF JONI MITCHELL runs through June 27, Thursday through Sunday at 8pm. Abrons Arts Center is located inside Henry Street Settlement at 466 Grand Street. The show is approx. 1 hour 45 minutes with one 10 min. intermission. Tickets are $20 on Thursday & Sunday, $25 on Friday & Saturday. For information and reservations call 212-352-3101 or www.TheaterMania.com. For more info visit www.abronsartscenter.org.)

FUBAR or Interesting, Incredible, Amazing, Fantastic (59E59 Theaters, Project Y Theatre Company)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS
solid production • cool use of photography/multi-media • kinda serious • character study • note performance times (shows start at 15 minutes after the hour)

Jerry Richardson, Lisa Velten Smith, Stephanie Szostak in FUBAR. Photo by Felix Photography.

BOTTOM LINE: Has a sort of TV feel, especially in the sense that I didn’t care as much about the story as I did about the characters’ stories.

It’s the turn of the new century and the question remains: Is it the same as it ever was? Or are we, as a society, totally FUBAR (F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition)? Themes galore surface in Karl Gajdusek’s FUBAR or Interesting, Incredible, Amazing, Fantastic, presented by Project Y Theatre Company as part of the Americas Off-Broadway Festival at 59E59 Theaters. Addiction, self-doubt, self-recognition, suicide, money, technology, fear, random acts of violence, infidelity, sex, cyberspace, drugs, and love are all explored in this at times confusing, somewhat disjointed, character driven story.

It’s the late '90s. The internet is still relatively foreign, alternative is the new mainstream, and ecstasy was the “it” drug of choice among ravers, college freshman and middle-aged PhD's alike. David (Jerry Richardson) is a six-figure-internet-guru-turned-amateur-photographer, while his wife, Mary (Lisa Velten Smith) is a physician who is apparently spiraling through depression. Their rocky marriage is tested when they move to San Francisco after Mary’s mother, an original flower child, commits suicide. We don’t know why Mary’s mother killed herself but we do know that she was a victim of domestic violence. We also know that she shot herself but not before packing up all of her belongings and labeling the boxes with things like “Virginity,” “For Mary,” “For David” and “Unforgivable Tchotchkes.”

In their new home of San Francisco, David reconnects with his high school buddy Richard (Ryan McCarthy) over some ecstasy at a rave. The two bond over drugs, old times, and their mutual adoration for Sylvia (Stephanie Szostak), the newest type of bohemian, who engages in cyber sex, lots of drugs, and is a muse for David’s new-found passion. Richard shares with David the thought that you go to bed thinking you are beautiful then you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and see what you really look like. He asks David, “Where is the mirror that shows who you really are?” Richard, we find out, is an author (the book he is currently writing is about self-recognition), but really, he’s an upper class drug-dealer.

While all this is going on, Mary is a victim of a random act of violence. She gets pummeled while taking a walk, just after laughing at the site of a big, beautiful, house burnt to the ground and thinking to herself “maybe I’ll get one of those delicious wraps.” After that, she takes boxing lessons from DC (Dan Patrick Brady) so she can learn how to hit something.

After leaving the theatre, I couldn’t help but feel like I had just Netflixed the first season of a new cable series called “FUBAR,” sat down, and watched the entire box set from beginning to end. Even though Gajdusek touches on some topical themes, the story itself is lackluster. It is a bit convoluted and even teeters on trite towards the end. His characters, however, are increasingly interesting. In particular, cast members Richardson and Szostak really honored Gajdusek’s characters with depth and variety. Richardson, with his quirky sense of humor, has a Ron Howard appeal that makes him ever likable while Szostak’s quintessential European cutie delivers with unabashed honestly that is both funny and discerning.

The characters in FUBAR, along with some stunning visual imagery (especially the stirring photographs taken by Eduardo Felix Placer that are intermittently projected on the walls), are what make this play interesting. The characters ask themselves, each other, and ultimately the audience many questions. In the end they prove that we as a people - despite a changing world filled with technology, violence, fear, and an ever present disapproval of what we, the people of the new millennia, have become - are the same as we ever were.

(FUBAR or Interesting, Incredible, Amazing, Fantasic plays at 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th St., through June 28th. Performance times are Tuesday at 7:15pm, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:15pm and Sunday at 3:15pm. The show is 2 hours and 20 minutes, with one intermission. Tickets are $18 ($12.60 for 59E59 Members) and can be purchased online at www.ticketcentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200. For more info visit www.59E59.org.)

The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side (The Amoralists Theatre Company, PS 122)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS
mucho nudity! not for the kiddies! (under 17 not admitted) • smart • funny • a tad long, but well executed • promising and exciting playwright that I hope to see more from in the future.

Matthew Pilieci, Mandy Nicole Moore, and James Kautz in The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side. Photo courtesy of Larry Cobra.

BOTTOM LINE: A balls-out, must-see (no pun intended).

Why is it when penises and vegan food are thrown into the mix everything is taken just a little less seriously? Not so with up and coming playwright Derek Ahonen’s The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side, presented by The Amoralists Theatre Company (although many laughs are had at the exposure of said body part and the mention of things like “unturkey” sandwiches). Ahonen explores utopian ideals brought on by an obvious conflict with the dystopian world our society is fearfully plummeting toward, with broad humor and even broader views. A detailed design, stellar cast, and bold direction bring to life this necessary story of four struggling friends.

The meticulous set (by Al Schatz) and costumes (by Ricky Lang) are a throw-back to the '60s and early '70s, a clear representation of a time when utopian ideals had perhaps their largest resurgence since Marx. The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side takes place over the course of a week in a small apartment. Billy (James Kautz), Wyatt (Matthew Pilieci), Dear (Sarah Lemp) and Dawn (Mandy Nicole Moore) are a sexually open foursome, who are in a committed relationship with each other and live together above a vegan restaurant in present-day NYC. They each have their individual struggles, addictions, and fears which are challenged first when Billy’s younger brother Evan (Nick Lawson) - your typical Midwestern, close-minded, frat boy - comes for a visit and next when they are dealt a hard blow from friend, employer, and landlord Donovan (Malcolm Madera) that upends their lifestyle.

The entire ensemble of actors is electric. Kautz plays a sad man behind blue eyes that is touching and complex. Pilieci’s comedic timing is perfection and he displays great range from fearless aggression to heartbreaking vulnerability. I fell in love a little bit with Moore whose doe-eyed ingenue is wistful and moving while Lawson does an excellent job of fulfilling a stereotype without succumbing to it’s pitfalls. Lemp has a likability about her that is a must for the hard-as-nails matriarch of the tribe and Madera rounds out the cast with simplicity and rapid-fire comedic delivery. Ahonen has a delicious ability to weave subtle hypocrisy into his characters. It makes some of the characters' personalities less appealing while it makes others unexpectedly more appealing and in the end it makes each one of the characters infinitely more interesting.

When you check out The Pied Pipers, I promise you will have your daily allotment of penises, butts, boobs, and bushes. I’ve mentioned this in past reviews but I’ll say it again: I am not one for gratuitous sex and unnecessary nudity, violence, or words (i.e. anything for shock-factor, it’s just not my bag). This show, however, had more roughness, sexuality, and naked bodies than I have seen on stage in a long time and not once was it distracting or unnecessary. Ahonen (who also directed the show) deserves a giant kudos, as does his cast, for understanding the difference between artsy-fartsy and skill.

I am also not one for hippie-dippy-tree-hugging-free-loving-why-can’t-we-all-just-get-along-ing. Puhlease. Stop. Enough already. Somehow this play avoids this trap yet manages to explore existential, philosophical, ecological, moral, and social questions without being heady or pretentious. Ahonen, both as director and playwright, bombards the senses and the mind with thought-provoking challenges that race through this reviewer's head on an almost daily basis. He creates one of those "you kinda had to be there" experiences. That being said, I suggest you go ahead and be there.

(The Pied Pipers Of The Lower East Side plays at PS 122, 150 1st Ave (at East 9th St.) through June 28th. Performance times are Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 5:00pm with an added show on Wednesday June 24th at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25, $15 for students/seniors and $10 for PS 122 members, and can be purchased online at www.ps122.org or by calling 212-352-3101. No one under 17 will be admitted. Running time is 2 hours and 45 minutes including two intermissions. For more info, visit www.TheAmoralists.com)

American Hwangap (Ma-Yi Theater Company and The Play Company)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS
Korean-American Family that all can identify with • if you like stories like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" you'll like this • solid production • great writing • attention Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans: James Saito, AKA Shredder is in this. You should see this, if for no other reason that to say that you saw Shredder in an awesome play

James Saito and Peter Kim in a scene from American Hwangap. Photo by Matt Zugale.

BOTTOM LINE: A relatable, comedic, drama about an American family looking to be one again.

Every family's got one. One relative. One event. One circumstance. One thing (or some things) that makes it tick and makes it both unique and utterly normal at the same time. In American Hwangap, new playwright Lloyd Suh illustrates the dramas of a typical American family through a specifically Korean celebration but creates a story that everyone can identify with. This production of American Hwangap, produced by Obie-award-winning companies, The Play Company and Ma-Yi Theater Company, is simple and touching with a sense of humor.

The play centers around the return of an absent father on his Hwangap. Hwangap is the Korean expression used to recognize one's 60th birthday. Before the birth of modern medicine, not many people lived to see their 60th birthday so it is a celebration of a long life. It also marks the end of the zodiac, completing the circle of one's life and the rebirth of another life within one's life. For Min Suk Chun (James Saito) it is a chance to begin his life again, with his family in America. Min Suk left his wife and three children in suburban Texas fifteen years ago to go back to Korea, something that has deeply affected his wife and children in very different ways. His homecoming is bittersweet as are his relationships with his family members.

A soft accent and subtle moments lost in translation abound but doesn't overpower this story. Saito is honest, never gimmicky, in his portrayal of the returned immigrant. He has a charming way of inserting profundity to the simplest of observations. During along overdue father/son moment with his youngest, Ralph (Peter Kim), Min Suk, referring to a video game that Ralph broke in anger earlier, shares "I think these objects have it coming to them." Saito's comedic timing is perfect and he delivers moments like this with such simplicity and honesty that one is sure that Suh has hidden pearls of wisdom somewhere in there.

Suh's voice is modernly poetic, colloquial, and humorous. Within exchanges of dialogue that seem light an inconsequential he hides some of life's deepest stuff. In one particular poem about a puppy which Ralph, a 29-year-old, slightly imbalanced, science fiction poet still living in his mother's basement, reads from his journal, he describes the sweetness, cuteness, and loyalty of this puppy then concludes, "he licked my hand. And then he pooped." Fantastic. Kim's handling of the tricky character of Ralph is smart and wonderfully delicate.

Director Trip Cullman's pacing is spot on, as are his choices. There are several moments in the play that could be played either as jokes or as weighty, poignant moments - Cullman struck an excellent balance. Cullman's staging is simple, making great use of the minimalist set (Erik Flatmo). The ensemble is solid. Each actor brought something very specific to how his/her character fits into the family as well as how they don't fit together. The family dynamic created on stage is interesting to witness, and maybe even recognize, at times.

American Hwangap presents a family story that is relatable and real. A story full of hurt and laughs, with a lot of issues made simple, and a lot of simple things made into issues. It is about one American family with a hope of repairing mistakes made, and maybe even the chance at a new beginning.

(American Hwangap performs at The Wild Project, 195 East 3rd Street, through June 7th. Tues.- Sat. at 8pm; Sat at 3 pm; Sun at 4pm. The show is 90 min.'s with no intermission. Tickets are $25 and can be reserved by calling 212-352-3101. Discount tickets available at http://www.blogger.com/www.broadwaybox.com. For more info visit www.playco.org and/or http://www.blogger.com/www.mayitheatre.org.)

Our House (Playwrights Horizons)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS
great humor • great performances • some adult language, sex and violence • draws from the corruption of the media, news, and reality TV • great writing

Stephen Kunken, Morena Baccarin, Christopher Evan Welch, Haynes Thigpen and Jeremy Strong in Our House. Photo by Joan Marcus

BOTTOM LINE: Rebeck creates a funny, strong comment on society without being overbearing or preachy.

Flip on the news and all too often reporters from competing networks will outright contradict one another, so one can’t help but wonder “What are the facts here?” or worse, they spend hours on an inane story about someone’s infidelity, as if we care, when there are injustices and wars going on in the world. On the flip side, entertainment is reeling with “reality” TV that clearly lists teams of writers in the closing credits at the end of each episode. I’m sorry, I don’t know about you, but I’m a “real” person, living a “real” life, and I have no team of writers handing me a script every day so that I can live in “reality.” Nowadays the line between entertainment and news has never been so blurred...or dumbed down.

On this topic, Theresa Rebeck does not hold back in her new play Our House. This biting comedy challenges what today’s television and news has become and its effect on society. Rebeck does a better job of capturing what is “real” than reality television or the news ever will. She lashes out at modern media with unmatched wit and an honest, observational humor that is spot-on. She creates characters that you love to hate (or hate to love) and creates a feeling of suspense and drama within this boundary breaking comedy.

Christopher Even Welch deliciously facilitates Rebeck’s glib dialogue as Wes, a cocky, self-assured, self-important head honcho of TV network, SBS. Even though he is the bad guy in the story, he somehow manages to be the most likable. Morena Baccarin plays Jennifer, the news anchor who will do anything to get ahead in her career and you pretty much just want to punch her in the face. Baccarin never betrays Rebeck by commenting on this asinine, annoying, and supremely egocentric woman but rather plays her to a T.

Meanwhile, Merv, pricelessly played by Jeremy Strong, is obsessed with Jennifer who is the new host of his favorite reality TV show, Our House. Alice, vigorously portrayed by Katie Kreisler, can’t stand reality TV (or any TV for that matter) any more than she can stand her housemate, Merv, who seems to delight in doing things like eating Alice’s special yogurt and not replacing it. The drama in the house ensues as Alice organizes a house meeting to try to evict her TV-addict, couch potato, yogurt-stealing nemesis. Rebeck uses these two characters to show the polar opposites that our media-crazy society has created. They are both intelligent people with different extremist points of view which make them both ignorant in their own right and, like Jennifer, punch-in-the-face-worthy. Finally, worlds collide in a bizarre twist that brings the real house, Our House, and the news together.

Award winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Side Man, A View From the Bridge) exhibits his prowess as he masterfully and seamlessly stages scenes between the house and the newsroom. He dictates a pace that moves at the speed of modern language and creates a suspenseful thriller in the midst of laugh-out-loud antics. Together, Mayer and Rebeck have mastered a genre that is comedy but not tomfoolery, drama but not sentimental, politically and socially minded but not pretentious.

Rebeck’s characters are so interesting in the fact that they are all irritating individualists (with the exception of Stu, ably played by Stephen Kunken, who is basically the only character with a level, unselfish head on his shoulders and perhaps the reflection of what we, the audience, all hope we are for fear that if we’re not we may be like Wes, Jennifer, Alice or Merv). And yet these obnoxious characters all have something to say that’s worth listening to, you just have to weed your way through their egos first. Talk about holding a mirror up to society! Ms. Rebeck, I think you’ve got the twenty-first century’s number.

(Our House is currently in previews at Playwrights Horizons/Mainstage Theater, 416 West 42nd Street. Official opening night is slated for June 9th and it closes June 21st. Performance times are Tuesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2:30pm & 8pm and Sunday at 2:30pm & 7:30pm. Tickets are $65. Discounts on HOTtix available. $20 rush tickets, subject to availability, day of performance only, starting one hour before showtime to patrons aged 30 and under. Proof of age required. One ticket per person, per purchase. Student rush is $15 per ticket subject to availability, day of performance only, starting one hour before curtain. One ticket per person, per purchase. Valid student ID required. Tickets available at the theatre’s box office and through ticketcentral.com, or at 212.279.4200. For more info go to playwrightshorizons.org/mainstage).

In addition, special Post-Performance Discussions with members of the cast and creative team will take place immediately after the following performances: Wednesday evening, May 27 at 8PM and Sunday matinee, June 7 at 2:30 PM.)