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.)

MilkMilkLemonade (The Management, Horse Trade Theater)

By Kitty

BOTTOM LINE: Gross childhood song. Delicious adult play.

Jennifer Harder and Nikole Beckwith in MilkMilkLemonade. Photo by John Alexander.

Glittery dance numbers. Talking chickens. A creepy, wheezing grandmother and a thugged-out spider who lives under the porch. This is my kind of show. Watching MilkMilkLemonade is like taking in an episode of Sesame Street hosted by the guy from Blue's Clues singing Schoolhouse Rock tunes while tripping on LSD. Bizarre and beautiful and as poignant as it is silly-hilarious, Joshua Conkel's literary journey through farmhouse frustration en route to gorgeous, glitzy go-getting is both heartfelt and humorous.

Our hero, Emory (the lovable Andy Phelan), is a young man struggling to survive as a sparkling. showbiz-obsessed homosexual in No-where-ville, USA, under the poor and misguided tutelage of his emphysema-suffering Nanna (the disturbingly convincing Michael Cyril Creighton). No one understands Emory's desire to abandon the confines of rural life in pursuit of his dream to become the ultimate song and dance man in the neighboring city of Mall Town. No one, that is, except Linda the chicken (the engaging Jennifer Harder), who also entertains her own dreams of escaping the chicken shredder to become the Andrew Dice Clay of comedic poultry.

As fantastical as some of the script-based elements of MilkMilkLemonade may be, it is the strength and talent of the cast that brings the sparkle and pizazz to this piece. From the narrator, Lady in a Leotard (the wide-eyed and whimsical Nikole Beckwith) to nasty next door neighbor Elliot (the absolutely incredible Jess Barbagallo), the cast commits to each moment and makes each one so real, that as an audience member, one is reminded that those feelings of awkward pre-teen alienation are not so deeply hidden as just below the surface of one's protective adult veneer.

(The Management and Horse Trade Theater Group Present MilkMilkLemonade by Joshua Conkel through September 26th, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm at UNDER St. Mark's, 94 St. Mark's between 1st Ave and Avenue A. Tickets are $18 and are available at www.smarttix.com.)

Psych (Tongue In Cheek Theater)

By Molly

BOTTOM LINE: A respectable production of a deceptive story that will keep you questioning reality.

Psych, by Evan Smith, was first produced by Playwrights Horizons in 2001. Although it was well-received and published after its run, it's not necessarily on the spectrum of shows that are often revived. Although the script isn't perfect (some plot points don't line up very well), it's a captivating story with interesting characters. Smith's tale of a girl who just can't please people despite tirelessly trying keeps the audience guessing who is manipulating whom.

This production, by Tongue in Cheek Theater, is a respectable re-interpretation of the script. With just one act and no intermission, the tension builds in a steady climb and keeps the audience's attention throughout. The ending doesn't give closure (as you learn to expect from the play's opening narration), but it does bring the story together in a satisfying way.

Sunny (Jake Lipman) is a twenty-something New Yorker who works as a dominatrix and wants to go to grad school for psychology. Her good friend from college, Molly (Brynne Kraynak), comes to stay with her while she looks for jobs in the city. Sunny seems doomed from the minute she starts applying to grad school: it seems everyone is out to get her despite her sweet demeanor and ambitious personality. As the story unfolds and her relationships become more tumultuous, the audience is left to wonder who is a victim and who is really, well, psychotic.

Tongue in Cheek Theater does a great job bringing the characters to life with ample conflict, especially between Sunny and Molly as their friendship goes sour. Lipman is the people-pleasing girl next door who occasionally tries way too hard; she finds the balance between kind and creepy and lets her character waver uncomfortably between the two. Kraynak creates the most believable character in the story and the audience is immediately on Molly's side as she navigates the frustrations of a dissipating friendship.

The Theatre 54 performance space at Shetler Studios is a tiny blackbox that provides an intimate experience. It's tough to produce a show that truly rings truthful though, when the audience is basically up the actors' noses. And as Psych is a conversation-driven piece (not much action) with word manipulation and misunderstandings being the basis for the conflict in the first place, all that talking and reflecting can provide a pretty inactive play. In such a tiny space, the only two things that could really transport the audience to another world are really bold directing choices or consistently incredible acting. This production, although solid, doesn't have either of the two aforementioned qualities. As a result, the play feels more like a really polished staged reading (with costumes and tech) than a full-blown production. And don't misunderstand, that's not a bad thing at all, it's just something to know before going to the theatre. You might not be able to lose yourself in the story, but you will enjoy the production regardless.

Psych is a well-written play and a really fun tale to experience. Tongue in Cheek does a commendable job presenting the story in an intriguing way that leaves the audience guessing. Director Jason Bohon keeps the pacing tight so there is always something happening to push the story further (and also muddy the details the audience once thought they knew as fact). With entrances and exits in three of the four corners of the playing space, the movement flows on stage and off and you can sort of get swept up in the back and forth of the action altogether. And as the drama unfolds, it makes it all the more fun to play along and guess what will happen next.

(Psych plays at Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios through September 19. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and are available at smarttix.com or by calling 212-868-4444. For more show information visit tictheater.com.)

The Bereaved (Partial Comfort)

By Molly

5 POINTS OR LESS
super funny • great dialogue • modern family drama stretched beyond any normal realm • nudity and lots of it • only 70 minutes, no intermission

BOTTOM LINE: Effing funny and freakishly relatable (at first anyway). This play is a prime example that high-quality downtown theatre does still exist.

If one were to see a play called The Bereaved, written by a playwright named Thomas Bradshaw, one might expect a solemn tale, perhaps a depressing story about death or coping with loss. One could not be more wrong. The Bereaved is indeed a story about death, a broken family, and coping with tragedy. But it's also hysterically funny in an "I can't believe that just happened" kind of way. The audience laughs in spite of itself, and very quickly the humor trumps anything intrinsically sad.

The premise is really quite depressing. Carol (McKenna Kerrigan) is a high-powered Manhattan attorney slash wife and mother. She suffers a heart attack and spends the subsequent weeks in the hospital. During that time, she makes sure to finalize plans for her family so that when she dies (she's not optimistic about her recovery) her part-time professor husband Michael (Andrew Garman) and 15-year old son Teddy (Vincent Madero) will be cared for. As Carol anticipates the end, her family and best friend Katy (KK Moggie) try to cope with the situation. And it's perhaps in those coping mechanisms that they lose sight of any responsible decision.

The Bereaved is an appreciated theatrical mindfuck that keeps the audience's attention-you think you're seeing one play and it turns out to be another. As the characters disengage from reality you wonder if they were always bat shit extremists or if their situation is a result of their trauma. The tale Bradshaw weaves builds geniusly: at the beginning the story is relatable, albeit on an extreme level. But as it unfolds, the characters unhinge and their antics, once quirky, exaggerate to the unpredictable. This provides for tremendously fun storytelling as the absurdity escalates and the audience wonders what could possibly happen next.

Although Bradshaw's script is worthy of accolades on its own, the biggest reason The Bereaved is so successful is because the cast is all-around fantastic. The actors deftly develop characters that are all too real and then ride the wave as story progresses. They all have excellent comic chops and the comedy is intentionally played through an understated demeanor. And most importantly, the entire cast remains committed, whether they are naked or not (and there is a lot of nudity). These actors can no doubt justify everything their characters do in this play and as a result, the audience believes them wholeheartedly.

It's to Bradshaw's credit that the audience is kept laughing, but May Adrales deftly directs the play, bringing everything together and keeping it grounded despite the growing ridiculousness. Adralas gives everyone in the cast a time to shine and with every character weighted equally, she creates a truly ensemble piece of theatre.

I don't usually gush about plays I see, especially about new plays off-off-Broadway. But Partial Comfort does good work and The Wild Project is quality downtown venue, and most importantly, The Bereaved is a really well-done production. It's not perfect yet (the ending is a little abrupt) but I sincerely hope it gets the acknowledgement it deserves, and hopefully another run in the future.

(The Bereaved plays at The Wild Project, through September 26. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are $15 and are available by calling 212.352.3101 or at ovationtix.com. Wednesdays are pay what you can. For more info visit partialcomfort.org.)

The Credeaux Canvas (The Bridge Theatre)

BOTTTOM LINE: A beautiful play by an exciting new theatre company.

The newly formed The Seeing Place Theatre Company’s mission statement proclaims they "want to produce theatre we all want to believe in,” and they fully succeed with their inaugural production of Keith Bunin’s The Credeaux Canvas. It tells the tale of a group of twentysomethigs who are striving to fulfill their dreams while struggling to pay the rent in a dumpy lower east side apartment. It seems like a classic New York Story: struggling artists, a fledgling singer, and a floundering real estate agent trying to find himself wax over what it means to be happy in this often brutal city. From written tests to get menial food service jobs to surviving on ramen noodles prepared in dishes washed in the bathtub these three are getting by fine until one of them is left out of his extremely wealthy father’s will and hits rock bottom. His plan is to have his extremely talented roommate paint a forged nude portrait of his girlfriend to try to pawn off for millions to a wealthy, seemingly clueless, socialite and the results will test the boundaries of their relationships and drastically alter their lives forever.

This is a great play. Anyone who is paying the bills by doing a job that they might hate a little or knows someone who is in a similar situation will find more than enough to relate to in this production. And let’s face it, that is pretty much anyone in New York City. The discoveries about what it means to be in your late twenties facing a future that might not, in fact, be full of the endless possibilities that we hopes for as children are poignant are handled very well under the direction of Lillian Wright, who also does double duty as scenic designer creating a very efficient and inventive set for the intimate stage at the Bridge Theatre. The performances are terrific as well. Brandon Walker and Anna Marie Sell fearlessly tackle their challenging roles; Joseph Mancuso is heartbreaking in his portrayal of a man desperate to have a family and be successful; but the unexpected star of the production is Jerilyn Wright who steals the one scene she appears in by creating moments of such truth and heartache with perfect ease and grace.

This is what off-off Broadway theatre is about. A great play. A good cast. A small intimate venue. The work is good and the message meaningful. The Seeing Place Theatre succeeded with their mission to produce theatre that this writer wants to believe. They are definitely a company to watch and I’m excited to see what this company has in store for the future. If you are looking for a moving night at the theatre, check out The Credeaux Canvas. I warn you, it is definitely a drama, so don’t go if you are looking for a light-hearted romp. But if you are just looking for a damn good play this is for you. It has love, angst, greed, art, cool music, and a little bit of tasteful nudity. What’s not to love?

(The Credeaux Canvas performs September 11th at 8pm, September 12th 2pm and 8pm, and September 13th at 3pm at The Bridge Theatre, 244 W 54th Street, 12th floor. Tickets are $18, available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com. For more info: http://www.seeingplacetheater.com/.)

Bird House (KNF Co.)

By Molly

5 POINTS OR LESS
an imaginative story • existential and thought-provoking • very artistically presented • puppets • cool set design and projection design that meshes two contrasting worlds

Christina Shipp and Cotton Wright in Bird House.

BOTTOM LINE: A fairytale fantasy world about growing up (with puppets).

I'm sorry I'm writing this review a little late, because it gives you less time to see Bird House, a captivating new play by Kate Marks currently running at Theatre 3. The short 12 performance run concludes Sunday, July 26th. If you have an inkling to see an artsy (but not fartsy) play with an expressive, "downtown" vibe, Bird House might be your perfect fit.

Bird House is the story of Louisy and Syl, two friends of indeterminate age (let's say young adults) who live together in a treehouse. They live on the Bright Side, the part of the world where things are cheery and peaceful. Syl (Christina Shipp) feels restless and decides to go be a hero on the Lop Side, the other side of the world where a war-ravaged society tries to perservere. Louisy (Cotton Wright) is abandoned by her only friend, and through her lonliness must resume her life and move on.

Bird House is a warped fairy tale, kind of like the Mad Hatter's teaparty. It's sort of nonsensical. It's sort of light and fun. But there's a layer of something darker and unsettling resting underneath. Although it's a story about youthfulness, it's probably not for kids. There are moments of humor to be sure, but there is something deep and poignant at its core.

Marks' script is enthralling. The way she arranges her words and creates these characters is meticulously stylized. She writes in an almost poetic way, where the words themselves are important, not just what is being said. And the world she's created is something unique in and of itself; although little is ever explicitly defined and the audience must interpret the play in their own way, the stylistic vocabulary is undeniably marvelous. It's easy to dive right in to the tale.

Heidi Handelsman's direction keeps the contrast between the Bright Side and the Lop Side crystal clear. Capable actors and puppeteers draw the audience in deeper. Sets, lighting and projections (Sara C. Walsh, Rebecca M. K. Makus and Alex Kock, respectively) keep the audience glued to the story. For a new play off-off-Broadway, I am extremely impressed by the professionalism of the production.

I wish Bird House offered a little more distinction into what was happening specifically, rather than being so open-ended and up for interpretation. Its existentialism was exciting to experience during the show, but I would've liked a little more closure at the end. It's always nice to feel like you've shared a theatrical experience with your fellow audience members rather than being isolated in your own mind. But that is a minor complaint compared to the solid production value and magical story that Bird House has to offer. I'm definitely excited to see what's next from both Marks and producers KNF Co.

(Bird House plays at Theatre 3, 311 West 43rd Street, 3rd Floor. Performances run through Sunday, July 25th: Thursday through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at theatremania.com or by calling 212.352.3101. For more show info visit birdhousetheplay.com.)

Suspicious Package: Rx (The Brick Theater)

By Dan

5 POINTS OR LESS
interactive theatre/walking tour/video game • great for teenagers, dates, and small groups • great for the summer-you aren’t stuck inside on a nice afternoon • for anyone and everyone (except perhaps the extremely self-conscious) • GO!

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY recommended for everyone; if you can follow instructions, you’ll have a great time.

Describing something as “Interactive Theatre” might seem off-putting to some, evoking images of audience participation in which you might be brought on stage and made to do silly things, or else a kind of cheesy feel-good experience in which everyone claps along in time to music. But as someone who does not like most kinds of audience participation, to the point where I refuse to clap in time when certain musicals ask the audience to do so, Suspicious Package: Rx is a different kind of interactive theatre.

Suspicious Package: Rx has a cast of 6, and ALL are audience members. But don’t worry...you aren’t “performing” for anyone else; rather, you “experience” this show rather than simply watch it. The experience begins at the Brick Theater, where Creator/Director Gyda Arber meets with the group of six people. Everyone is assigned a role (Colonel, Chemist, Secretary, Computer Whiz, Doctor, Executive) and gets a costume piece. Arber has everyone introduce themselves, and asks each one a question designed to get you into character. I was the Computer Whiz, and she asked me to talk about any ways in which I was nerdy (of course I had many to choose from!)

Then Arber gives everyone a Zune Media Player (its like a video iPod) to guide you through the experience. Periodically, you receive instructions about where to go and what to do (“Facing the Brick theatre, turn to your left and walk up the stairs ahead of you”). Interspersed with this are video flashbacks that fill in your backstory, and audio “inner dialogue” that tells you about what “you” are thinking. At times, you will wind up in the same location as one or more of the other participants, and you’ll be given lines to read (this is the theatre aspect).

The key thing is that each person’s experience is different. The media players are coordinated; you might walk away from someone else in the group, only to meet up with them at some point later on, and have a scene together. Then you might leave and go somewhere else, and speak with another character. As the experience goes on, you learn more about the story and the characters. (Without giving too much away, Suspicious Package: Rx is a sci-fi dystopia, set in 1960's Williamsburg, with survivors of a recent plague taking an antidepressant drug.)

I had a terrific time at Suspicious Package: Rx, as did my friend (who normally does not like theatre, especially on a beautiful summer afternoon). We enjoyed the experience of walking around, following the directions, and then all of a sudden talking to another character. And because we didn’t know much about the plot, we also had to work to piece together the different pieces of the story, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. All was clear by the end, but I would definitely return again to experience a different character (you get to choose your character when you reserve).

Do I have any criticisms? The acting and costumes in the video footage was fairly amateur, although this didn’t matter at all. And the more amateur look kind of fits in with the entire experience, since the “cast” of each show is of course decidedly amateur. And there were a couple times when I anticipated some directions. For instance, I was told to walk to an establishment. I walked there, went inside and sat down. I watched some video footage, and then heard the instructions “go inside and sit down”- turns out I had entered and watched a dialogue I wasn’t really supposed to have seen. It didn’t ruin anything, and these slight deviations from the script are a part of any piece of live theatre. But I’d advise following the directions as closely as possible. And keep in mind that not knowing what is going on is part of the experience.

Note- if you’re extremely self-conscious, you might feel a bit strange. You wear a small costume piece throughout the show, and occasionally have conversations with other people in public places that might seem weird to those who aren’t part of the experience. Of course, this is NY, so most people walking the streets of Williamsburg won’t bat an eye. At the end, the table next to us started listening in on our conversation. Turns out they had finished the experience an hour earlier. But of course, we didn’t know that at the time, so it suddenly felt like we had a real audience.

I highly recommend Suspicious Package: Rx. While it isn’t scheduled to run much longer, Arber told me they were thinking of extending the show. She also said she would do it by appointment, so if you have a group of six people, you can probably arrange a time with her. If you have a group of 4 people, ask Arber about the original Suspicious Package, which has a film noir theme. If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, definitely check it out.

(Suspicious Package: RX plays at the Brick Theater, 575 Metropolitan Avenue, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. ½ a block from the Lorimer stop of the L train. All tickets $20, including a post-show beverage. Reservations Required. The entire experience runs about an hour. Tickets available through theatermania.com (212-352-3101 or 1-866-811-4111). For more information visit www.suspiciouspackageshow.com. Right now, you can only buy tickets for July 18th, 19th and 25th, but you might be able to arrange additional experiences by contacting Gyda Arber directly: gyda@bricktheater.com.)

Therese Raquin (PTP/NYC at Atlantic Stage 2)

By Molly

5 POINTS OR LESS
hauntingly scary • based on a novel written in the 1800's • hyper-sexual but no nudity • artistically interpretive story telling (in a good way)

BOTTOM LINE: A very theatricalized presentation of a very creepy story.

Potomac Theatre Project's 2009 summer repertoire include two plays that propel the company's mission: they are highly theatrical and thought-provoking work of contemporary social and cultural relevance. One of these offerings, Therese Raquin, is all of the above in the style of a somewhat cracked-out horror flick. It offers a lot to its audience and indulges anyone with a penchant for both theatre and scary movies.

Adapted from a novel by Emile Zola that was written in the 1800's, Therese Raquin takes place in Paris and tells the story of tortured soul, Therese (Lily Balsen). Raised by her aunt (Helen-Jean Arthur) and having grown up with her sickly cousin Camille (Willie Orbison), Therese is somewhat maladjusted to begin with. When she is an adult, she marries Camille as was always the intended plan. Camille is whiney and pathetic and Therese quickly tires of him. Enter Laurent (Scott Janes), an old family friend whom Therese instantly falls for. They begin an intense affair and then decide they're sick of having a secret relationship so they take drastic action to get rid of Camille. Cue Psycho shower scene music.

This production is overly theatrical and indulgently verbose at first. I have to say I was confused by the morose presentation at the beginning of the play; I mean, the story was sad, but it wasn't immediately unsettling (unless you think marrying your first cousin is unsettling but that's a different story). So just as I was questioning the tone of the play in accordance with the action, and just as I was wondering when they would stop talking and do something, the drama pushed forward and the story was on a fast and wonderful track to crazy-town. The set-up made sense and I was happily on the ride. By the end, the artistic choices worked perfectly and I felt a little bad that I wasn't more trusting from the start.

Therese Raquin is acted convincingly well. Balsen makes a terrifying Therese (who really just wants to be happy). Arthur is fantastic as Therese's aging aunt. With strategic direction that utilizes the four main characters and four other characters (who serve as a makeshift Greek chorus), director Jim Petosa paints an eerie picture. Considering the stage consists of only two chairs and up to eight actors, Petosa specifically blocks the scenes in ways that fill out the space and pin-point the story in clever and accurate ways. Awesome lighting design contributes to this overall visual effect as well. There is a disturbing chill in the air.

Much of Therese Raquin is over-written and I'd bet this has more to do with the story's original roots rather than this adaptation by Neal Bell. The result (plus the over-theatrical storytelling utilized for the production) gives the show a kind of highbrow vibe. It probably wouldn't make a neophyte an instant fan of the theatre. This show is for those who already like watching live theatre (in all its pretentious glory). And if you are also a fan of horror movies, then this show is definitely for you.

(Therese Raquin plays through July 26th at Atlantic Theatre, Stage 2, 330 West 16th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. Remaining performances are Sat 7/11 at 7:30pm, Sun 7/12 at 2pm, Thu 7/16 at 7:30pm, Fri 7/17 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/18 at 2pm, Sun 7/19 at 7:30pm, Tue 7/21 at 7:30pm, Wed 7/22 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/25 at 7:30pm, Sun 7/26 at 2pm. Running time is 2 hours and 5 minutes including intermission. Tickets are $20 and $10 for students/seniors and can be purchased at TicketCentral.com or at 212-279-4200. For more show info visit PotomacTheatreProject.org.)
Stan Barouh if a photo is used. Thanks.

Photo: Willie Orbison (rear) as Camille Raquin, Helen-Jean Arthur as Madame Raquin and Lily Balsen as Therese Raquin. Photo by Stan Barouh.

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.)

hospital 2009, episode one (Axis Company)

By Kitty

BOTTOM LINE: Be sure to make some space in your head

Hmm. Or maybe, hmm? Such was my response to Axis Company's opening weekend performance of hospital 2009. hospital, now in its tenth year, is a serial play that explores the cerebral inner workings of a terminally comatose man. Each annual cycle employs a different scenario as a metaphor to illustrate the man's dissension into darkness. This year finds him floating in a small escape pod in outer space having accidentally detached himself from his mother ship. He is not certain as to how or why these events have occurred and what's more, he is not entirely convinced that these events have happened at all for in his dream-like state, he experiences vague flashes of his Earth-bound life which persuade him otherwise. Unfortunately, the audience is left just as confused and aimless as the play's main character. Maybe that's the point...?

Despite an interesting premise, a capable cast and a style-savvy creative team, hospital 2009 is a tough sell. The script lacks clarity, the characters are deficient in definition and the dialogue is so heavy with outer space techno speak, it is nearly impossible to follow the movement scene to scene or even sentence to sentence. In addition, the relationships between characters are so aggravatingly ambiguous that the audience is left asking themselves, "Who are these people and why should I care about them?"

At times, it feels as if hospital 2009 isn't really concerned about what the audience thinks, feels or even understands. Other than the set up outlined in the production's program, hospital does not attempt to aid the audience in the navigation of the script's complex storyline nor does it encourage the investment into what they do know about the characters and the circumstances surrounding them. Strange elements appear unexpectedly, but because they are never fully explained, rather than adding interest, depth or comedy, they instead create a component of superfluous frivolity which leaves the audience resentful of the production's pretension.

Regardless of hospital 2009's shortcomings, the production value is noteworthy. Axis Company's space, located in the beautiful West Village, sports an ultra-modern design complete with chrome accents, leather furniture and flat-screen television monitors embedded in the walls. The theater itself, a basement space, possesses perfect dimensions, comfortable audience seating and superior technical capabilities. As soon as one steps into the space, it feels as though one has taken a field trip to the city planetarium, an effect which serves the production well considering the celestial location of this year's installment.

(hospital 2009 includes 4 episodes and plays through July 25 at One Sheridan Square. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8pm. For the complete schedule visit axiscompany.org. Tickets are $12, student and senior tickets are $6. To purchase tickets call 212.807.9300.)

Sole Survivors (Stage Left Studio Theatre)

By Natasha

Editor's note: Sole Survivors was presented at Stage Left Studio Theatre June 3rd through June 7th. It will play next at the North 4th Theatre (4904 Fourth Street NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico) from July 17th through August 1st. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit www.vsartsnm.org or phone 505-344-4542. The show will be performed Friday, July 17th, Saturday, July 18th, Friday, July 24th, Saturday, July 25th, Friday, July 31st, Saturday, and August 1st at 8:00pm.

Michelle Vest’s Sole Survivors is an intriguing and heartbreaking look at the complex issue of immigration. Vest portrays four fascinating characters and frames the monologues with a mariachi band, Flor de Toloache, playing songs while she transforms into her next character. (When the show plays in New Mexico, the band will be Mariachi Sonidos del Monte.) Flor de Toloache is an amazingly talented ensemble featuring Mireya Ramos, Shae Fiol, Veronica Valerio, and Antonio Vidal. Veronica Valerio particularly shines with her gorgeous, velvety voice full of pain and intrigue. I have to say it was refreshing for me to see an almost all-female mariachi band. The juxtaposition of Flor de Toloache’s music and Vest’s monologues works perfectly and allows the audience to embrace the spirit of the immigrant soul.

Vest’s characters all have a fascinating story to tell. Her first character is a man that explains how he became a coyote; his experiences with the death and violence suffered by illegal immigrants is bone-chilling. The second character is a vibrant, young mom that crosses the border but must leave her son behind. The next character is a day worker; his story demonstrates how the brutal struggle to survive can sometimes make us forget our humanity. And the last character is a sweet professor from El Salvador who must work in a kitchen in the U.S.; he is waiting to reunite with his family after eleven years. Each character is portrayed with precision and heart. This play needs to be seen, especially in a time of economic recession, when scapegoating immigrants is rampant.

Vest’s show ran at Cheryl King’s Stage Left Studio Theatre, a charming and intimate space perfect for one person shows. The theater is the only solo show repertory theatre in New York and offers a wonderful opportunity for artists like Michelle Vest to get exposure. Go to www.stageleftstudio.net to learn about her upcoming shows.

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)

Le Serpent Rouge (Company XIV)

By Kitty

Gioia Marchese as the Devil, John Beasant III as Adam and Laura Careless as Eve in Le Serpent Rouge.

BOTTOM LINE: Sin is the new black.

To describe Company XIV's original production, Le Serpent Rouge, as fantastic and marvelous or even wonderful would simply not suffice. This production may very possibly have been sent directly from heaven above because the advanced levels of artistry and the skill in their execution are of biblical proportions.

The story begins with Lilith, Adam's plaything pre-fling with Eve. Once Eve arrives in Eden, Adam carelessly discards Lilith. Now scorned, she transforms into the serpent sent to undo Adam and Eve's idyllic existence. Oh, and what a temptress she is! Yeva Glover's sultry Lilith oozes sinful sex as she slithers in and out of scenes in various stages of undress. Laura Careless' Eve, a beauty in her own right, fights to hold the attention of her supposed soul mate often with mixed results and at one point, even relents to the idea of a threesome in order to satiate Adam's lust.

Writer, director, and choreographer Austin McCormick chooses one character, the very present Gioia Marchese as the Ringmistress, to provide the verbal commentary for the goings-on in the Garden. The remaining communicative responsibility is left to the emotive ensemble which is truly a testament to their talent and clearly an indication of McCormick's unwavering trust in his actors. This clarity is achieved through breath-taking, back-breaking movement...the most gorgeously affecting choreography I have seen in years which is flawlessly executed by each member of the ensemble. Their bodies, smooth and toned, are stunning and add so much sensuality to the piece. McCormick accompanies his choreography with various musical selections from artists as diverse as James Brown and Marilyn Monroe and genres as eclectic as classical opera and bluesy jazz. Despite the broad range of his selections, each piece finds it's place in this bizarrely beautiful puzzle.

Having succeeded in all of this, McCormick also manages to assemble a remarkably creative technical team. Zane Philstroms' sets are beautifully detailed, from the brightly bulbed proscenium arch and its ruched curtain to the light fixtures that follow the edge of the circular stage. Olivera Gajic's costumes add to the decadent European cabaret feel with flamboyant fabrics and textures of satin, tulle, velvet and patent leather. Lighting and sound engineering is smooth and amazingly glitch-free.

Most refreshing about this production is its seemingly flawless execution. So often, productions open under-rehearsed, technically inadequate, and poorly-planned. This production, however, is ready from the word "go" and it is obvious much time, energy, and thought was put towards realizing the potential of this project. Eat the apple and enjoy Le Serpent Rouge!

(Le Serpent Rouge plays through June 6th at Company XIV, 303 Bond Street between Union and Sackett Streets in Brooklyn. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and can be purchased online at www.SmartTix.com or by calling 212-868-4444. Mature content – no one under 17 admitted. Running time is 75 minutes with no intermission. For more information visit www.CompanyXIV.com.)

Thank You For Being a Friend: The Musical (The Kraine Theater)

By Scott

BOTTOM LINE: Oh no, thank you!

Thank You For Being A Friend: The Musical is, to put it mildly, a curious theatrical experience. It is essentially a made-up episode of TV's The Golden Girls in drag with some famous musical theatre songs with re-worked lyrics thrown in for fun, and the most ridiculous (in a good way) excuse for a plot I have come across in many years. Like its source material, Thank You never fails to elicit fits of hysteria, gasps of embarrassment and outbursts of applause from the pre-show warning straight through to the “We Are Family” clap-along finale.

For those not familiar with the 80’s sitcom The Golden Girls, I would recommend a pass on this show for it succeeds (as parodies often do) mostly on your knowledge of the original. Without that frame of reference, the hilarity of Thank You For Being A Friend: The Musical would be little more than three guys in drag, two guys not in drag and a girl in semi-drag running around being loud. But confident that its audience has seen an episode or two, the creators of this show go for broke.

The most successful elements of the show are the three “ladies” playing the roles originated by Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur and Betty White. With a likeness one cannot be fully prepared for, Chad Ryan, Luke Jones and Nick Brennan channel their original counterparts in mood and mannerism as well as physical resemblance, and it is mostly their virtuosity that keeps the show afloat. In an effort to not spoil the plot or any of the fun, I will say only that Jody Wood and Brad Loekle as the neighbors have the more difficult job of playing it straight (relatively speaking of course), but manage to pull it off admirably. Collectively the cast is an effective ensemble clearly relishing in the nonsensical madness that is this show.

There was one element of the show, however, that left me perplexed: The character of Sophie (Sophia on the original show, played brilliantly by Estelle Getty), while a generation older than the other ladies, is still essentially part of the core group on the original television show, and, naturally, in the play. I remain unclear as to why Sophie was played (albeit brilliantly) by Lavinia Draper – the only actual female member of the cast. Was she a last minute replacement? Could they not find a guy to do it? Have I lost all ability to discern gender when someone is wearing a wig and is Lavinia Draper actually a guy? I really don't know, but whatever the case may be, I must confess that it did take me out of the show more than once as I wrestled with the age-old question: Is that a shadow or an Adam's Apple?

But, as mentioned, she was brilliant so perhaps such quibbles are not really relevant. What is relevant is that this show is high camp done very, very well, and from the moment the lights went down until they came up again, a packed theatre was in absolute hysterics. If you have been dying to see an episode of The Golden Girls in drag – and really, who hasn't – then Thank You For Being A Friend: The Musical is must see tv. I mean theatre.

(Thank You For Being A Friend: The Musical runs May 24 - July 12, Sundays at 8pm. The Kraine Theater is located at 85 East 4th Street between 2nd & 3rd Avenues. Tickets are $20, available at 212-352-3101 or buy online here.)

Orange Flower Water (InProximity Theatre Company)

By Molly

5 POINTS OR LESS
a well-written play by the guy who wrote Six Feet Under and Brothers and Sisters • inaugural production for a new theatre company • sexually charged • conflict-heavy • thoughtfully produced and performed

Laurie Schaefer and Brent Vimtrup in Orange Flower Water. Photo by Blair Blackman.

BOTTOM LINE: A perceptive play about love and infidelity.

I was excited to see InProximity's inaugural production of Craig Wright's Orange Flower Water because I am a big fan of Wright's work and because it's always fun to see a fledgling company fresh out of the gate. I was impressed with the production; the four person cast attacks these characters with fervor and empathy, exposing their humanity despite a tricky, immoral situation.

Orange Flower Water was written in the early part of the decade and performed off-Broadway at Theatre For the New City in 2005. It is the story of two suburban couples intertwined in a messy love affair. David (Brent Vimtrup) and Cathy (Jolie Curtsinger) are married, so are Brad (Michael Poignand) and Beth (Laurie Schaefer). They're all pretty unhappy but are set in their ways with their children and lives. After a few years of benign flirting at soccer games, David and Beth finally make a move and their affair becomes official. Their spouses find out, they leave them and move in together. The message is that sometimes you have to hurt innocent people to make yourself happy...life is never as neat and easy as it should be.

The stakes are high in this play and the actors do their best to deliver aggressive emotion with empathy for their individual plights. Everyone is sort of the victim of their own desire for happiness, and the audience witnesses David and Beth make it out of their tedious despair, in exchange for true happiness with one another (although it comes at a very high price and might not even last forever). Everyone is wounded in one way or another. Wright is a master at writing dysfunctional relationships at their breaking points. His previous work includes TV shows Six Feet Under, Brothers and Sisters, and Dirty Sexy Money; he is great at exposing sympathetic honesty in confrontational situations.

The four actors do their best to tell the story with honesty, although the space at Theatre 54 is a bit distracting. The night I was there my attention was often pulled from the play to the opera auditions in the room next door, and then to some other audience members cracking open smuggled-in cans of Heineken (it's not a Nascar race folks, a little decorum please). But those distractions are clearly not the fault of anyone involved with the play. All that aside, and although the production is a bit self-aware at times, the story resonates strongly in the four actors (who remain on stage throughout the performance...a blocking note specified in the script). Orange Flower Water is a great play that delves into intense relationships that feel all too real and InProximity does the script justice with this production. I respect that their first show is a ballsy one and I look forward to subsequent offerings.

(Orange Flower Water plays at Theatre 54, 244 West 54th Street. Remaining performances are Thursday, May 28 at 8pm, Friday, May 29 at 8pm, Saturday, May 30 at 8pm and Sunday, May 31 at 2pm. The show runs 1 hr. 30 min. with no intermission. Tickets are $18 and are available at ticketcentral.com. For more show info visit inproximitytheatre.org).

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Mortals Theater & Brooklyn Stage Co.)

By Le-Anne

5 POINTS OR LESS
excellent & exciting stage combat • don’t let the 3 Hrs deter you, it flies by • ballsy choices that may/or may not always work • smart cuts • in Brooklyn!

BOTTOM LINE: Some interesting, fully committed, somewhat controversial choices, but all together a solid show.

Some bold choices were made in Mortals Theater and Brooklyn Stage Company’s presentation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Incest and PDA abound in this site specific production. Performed in a hallowed out bank that resembles a gated castle from the outside, and drawing from the history of this bank that died during the depression (a time when something was most certainly rotten in the state of America) the effect is successfully eerie. Shakespeare’s longest and most rebellious play in structure is handled deftly and plainly by director Robert F. Cole with some smart cuts that serve his clearly focused direction of the multi-talented cast of seventeen.

Uncut, Hamlet clips along at four hours, which by most contemporary American acting habits translates to something much closer to five hours...if you’re lucky. Cole’s Hamlet comes in at just under three hours including a generous intermission. Some typical omissions were made, for example some characters are cut including Fortinbras, a drastic foil to Hamlet and the only character to bring an outside perspective to the goings on. Anything to do with Norway was, more or less, eked out all together. Internal cuts within soliloquies and dialogue were made that, for the most part, go unnoticed unless you are a Shakespeare savant. Although I can’t help but feel that some of the cuts seem to have flattened out the character of Hamlet a little bit, such cuts are understandably necessary. Cole states that he is most interested in the idea of internal corruption and blood-lusty revenge and his choices certainly streamline to that effect.

Speaking of choices...some gutsy ones were made. While I didn’t love every choice I did love the fearlessness with which they were executed, particularly by Lilith Beitchman as Gertrude and Elizabeth Lord as Ophelia. Beitchman’s Gertrude is reminiscent of Courtney Love circa 1994 with a Sharon Stone-esque moment or two thrown in for good measure. Albeit convincingly so, Beitchman seems a bit over the top at first, however, somewhere during a particularly incestuous scene with Hamlet she surprises with a lovely vulnerable side to Gertrude that makes one think Beitchman has calculated her Gertrude as a woman who simply has no idea how, shall we say, 'F'-ed up and increasingly inappropriate she is. Lord revs up the crazy to the nth degree. Though I would have appreciated a little more variety in the direction given to her, Lord's commitment is full-force.

Cast standouts include Jared R. Pike as Osric and Matthew Pilieci as Laertes. Pike owns Osric with a unique interpretation that is consistent, pleasing to the modern palette, and he intelligently handles Shakespeare’s words. Pilieci’s sexually charged, outwardly aggressive and decisive Laertes is an excellent foil to the more brooding, inwardly obsessive, and meandering Hamlet played admirably by James Kautz. A nod should also be given to Zachary Zito, who is endearing and provides much clarity as Horatio, Lou Sones who lends a modern New York City sense of humor to Polonius, and Nate Clifford who, though he plays several smaller parts (Marcellus, Player King, and Sailor), has little to say but when he does it is clear he understands exactly what Shakespeare means by “speak the speech.”

Although I didn’t necessarily love every choice made in this production, I was far from bored. Frankly, because such strong choices were made, I’m sure that the parts I disliked someone else loved and vise versa. As Hamlet says, “I must be cruel, only to be kind.” Cole does a commendable job of telling a clear story and creating a sense of unity on stage, while the cast has a contagious energy that never drags. All in all, despite my love/hate dilemmas, it is a solid production worth the trip out to Brooklyn.

(Hamlet, Prince of Denmark plays at the Archip Gallery Theater, 498 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231, through May 24. Performance times are Thursdays - Sundays at 8pm. The show is approximately 2 hours 40 min.’s with one 15 min. intermission. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at www.theatermania.com or by calling 866-811-4111.)

A Play On Words (59E59)

By Ben

5 POINTS OR LESS
smart • silly • simple • suburban • semantics

BOTTOM LINE: Highly enjoyable banter between two friends that is simply fun to watch and laugh along with...not to mention the ticket price is a bargain.

I really liked A Play on Words. The writing is smart, the acting is fun to watch and it’s very entertaining. Some describe it like Waiting for Godot meets Seinfeld. While I see the comparison, this show does take on its own personality and there is a story that unfolds that is not completely meaningless.

So what the heck is the play about? Mark Boyett and Bryan Dykstra play two suburban guys having a conversation outside and one of them is planning something. That’s it. The good news is that it’s a very funny and intelligent conversation. They discuss politics, the meaning of words, American history and our own school system. As an audience member, it’s fun to go for the ride and let your own brain crunch on these issues. By no means are they “heavy” issues; what most of the issues come down to is, as the title suggests, wordplay. What the plot and banter amount to in the end is ultimately quite silly in a very smart way.

Dykstra and Boyett do a great job playing off one another and the show never drags. It’s nothing over the top or a spectacle designed to blow you away. It’s simple theater. Dykstra is also the writer of the play, so I wonder how much he was playing his self or if this was a characterization. Either way, it boils down to simple solid theater that is well polished and enjoyable to take in.

If you enjoy humor that is intellectually engaging and easy to take in, check it out. Bring a friend if you’re up for it, it’s an easy night at the theater without breaking the bank and it just might start your own wordplay conversation afterwards.

(A Play on Words plays through Saturday, May 30 as part of the Americans Off Broadway festival at 59E59 Theatres, 59 East 59th Street. Performances are Tuesday at 7:30 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:30 PM and Sunday at 3:30 PM. The regular ticket price is $18 ($12.60 for 59E59 Members). Tickets are available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com. For more information visit www.59E59.org.)

Go-Go Killers (The Sage Theatre)

By Kitty

BOTTOM LINE: If you're looking for an excuse to dust of your glittery go-go boots, Go-Go see Killers.

Imagine New York City ten years in the future. Are the rich getting richer? The poor getting poorer? Are the sidewalks swarmed with strutting glamazons? Are these glittering gangs of gals hounded by clueless men who are ultimately unappreciative of genuine girl power? Do many find themselves overwhelmed by loud pop colors, strobe lights and DJ disco delights?

Can the above illustration also be used to describe your jaunt through Times Square this afternoon?

Rachel Klein Productions' Go-Go Killers offers a glimpse into 2019 city life and it doesn't seem as if much has changed. In Killers, we follow two squads of spicy, slinky, sexy, supermodel-superheroes as they swish their way around the country, exterminating the nation's wealthiest in attempts to restore economic balance. Playwright Sean Gill chooses the lens of 1960s girlsploitation cinema through which to filter his vision of the not-so-distant future, complete with comic book-y conversation, fist-to-face fight sequences and a sparkling series of coquettishly choreographed scene transitions. With all of this and a cast of stunning sexpots in hot pants and knee-high boots, Killers succeeds in creating a fun and flirty cosmos made only more compelling with a small dose of danger.

Unfortunately, this production of Killers does have a handful of issues to overcome. First, the space seems inappropriate for this production. The depth of the stage appears to be too great and often the actors are swallowed up in its shadowy abyss. The lighting does not aid the situation and repeatedly, the actors play in shade even when standing centerstage.

Second, the quality of performance throughout the duration of the show is very inconsistent. When the cast's comic timing is precise, the dialogue punches. Oft-times, however, the timing trips and the dialogue falls flat. In addition, most of the actors share a similar dance skill level with only one or two who fall below it. Unfortunately, the more-experienced dancers far outshine the less-experienced, drawing uncomfortable attention to those actors not so movement-inclined.

Despite these difficulties, however, the Killers cast does possess much power and strength. Joe Stipek, for example, shines as socialite Eugene St. Ives. Especially remarkable is Stipek's vocal characterization. His pitch, cadence and pronunciation all resemble men of this retro genre and indicate an in-depth study of film of that era. Equally exceptional is Elizabeth Stewart's Electra, the leader of the Furies gang. Not only is she absolutely stunning, but like Stipek, she possesses a rich understanding of the film genre which inspired Killers. Her delivery is sharp and studied and her voice smokey and sultry. Lastly, not to be out done by the ladies, the three Go-Go Boys shimmy about throughout, adding a touch of decadent debauchery. Especially wonderful is Brian Rubiano, whose endless energy and effervescent smile hypnotically hold the audience's eyes.

(Rachel Klein Productions' Go-Go Killers performs every Friday and Saturday night at 8pm until May 30th at The Sage Theater, 711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor. Tickets are $15 and are available online at www.smarttix.com.)

Liars (Under St. Mark's)

By Leah

5 POINTS OR LESS
short vignettes • consistent light-hearted tone • strong ending

BOTTOM LINE: Liars is a fun evening which takes a look at some squirmingly uncomfortable truths.

Liars is an evening of short vignettes, all centered around the different ways we lie to each other. There are eight short plays in all, all by different playwrights, but using the same actors. Overall, the evening tends toward a slightly surreal, warped version of reality, which works perfectly with the subject matter. Obviously, because each sketch has a different author, some are stronger than others. My favorites include "LOL" by Caroline O'Hare, which spot-on captures awkward IM flirting; "Peek" which manages to be simultaneously hilarious and vaguely heartbreaking, focusing on a man haunted by a, ahem, little white lie; and the show's conclusion, "Evacuation Plan" by Jeff Sproul, a completely sweet love story, despite its bathroom centric plot.

The cast works well on a sketch comedy level, switching hats and alternating between broad strokes and squirmingly subtle ones as the situation dictates. One standout is Alicia Barnatchez, whose impeccable comic timing brings life to every scene she plays.

Overall, Liars is Theater Lite. With the exception of "Peek" and "Evacuation Plan" the scenes don't have a whole lot to say about lying or its implications. On the other hand, what works for the show as a whole is just that: it keeps the funny coming and doesn't get bogged down in heavy-handed preaching. It's a well-constructed comedy show that's a great way to start off a night.

(Liars runs May 7th through 23rd, 8pm Thursdays through Saturdays, 94 St. Marks Place
Basement theater. Run time is 75 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $15 or $12 for students & seniors, available at SmartTix.com, 212-868-4444. For more show info, visit www.horseTRADE.info.)