About This Reviewer - May 22, 2022May 23, 2022

André & Dorine (Kulunka Teatro)

A wordless play performed by actors behind masks may not seem to be the likeliest of candidates for a theatrical experience brimming with emotional depth. In the hands of Spain’s Kulunka Teatro company, André & Dorine beautifully explores the ups and downs of the human condition.

The title characters are an elderly couple who begin their story as a married team who have obviously spent a lot of time together. Maybe too much! In the close quarters of their home, they push each others buttons. He is typing. She is playing her cello. He expresses his annoyance by banging on the desk. “Can’t you see what I doing here?” is the unspoken question.

André & Dorine chronicles the latter stages of their life and her descent into the ravages of Alzheimer’s. As a vehicle to present confusion, the usage of masks is inspired especially in one particularly heartbreaking scene. The masks also imply a realistic universality where the storytelling could represent people we know and love.

All is not gloomy, however, in this tale. A series of flashbacks allow us to see these two during some of the biggest moments of their personal journeys. They are often very funny and charmingly staged. As a result of the shifting timeframes, the portraits painted are vivid, achingly familiar and result in a thoughtful contemplation on the circle of life.

André and Dorine had a son who is also a character in this play. You recognize him (and yourself) as an adult child with parents who are certainly loving and caring while also being stereotypically annoying. A handful of other minor roles are amusing, most notably a priest. Three actors portray the main characters (at different ages) and all the side characters. Transitions are fluid and clear.

The family deals with some of the mental challenges associated with this disease. A great scene contrasts how best to cope. Both father and son have their individual perspectives and biases. How best to deal with increasingly odd behavior? A lifetime of shared experience and generational differences are thrust into view. The comedic touches which build this impressive scene are delightful.

Performers José Dault, Garbiñe Insausti and Edu Cárcamo wrote this play along with Director Iñaki Rikarte and Rolando San Martín. The levels of emotional development throughout a wordless and faceless show are truly memorable as are Ms. Insausti’s masks themselves. Sets, costumes, lighting and music are all excellent. There are so many creative elements within this production of André & Dorine which make this United States’ tour worth seeking out.

André & Dorine is being performed in New York (Theatre at St. Clement’s) through May 29, 2022 and then in Los Angeles (Lupe Ontiveros Cinema Center) from June 8 – 19th. Here is a You Tube link for a preview of the show.

www.andreanddorinetour.com

www.youtube.com/andre&dorinetrailer

www.kulunkateatro.com

About This Reviewer - March 26, 2022

#SoSadSoSexy (The Tank)

Mental illness is tackled in the devised play #SoSadSoSexy. This type of theater is the result from a collective collaboration of a performing ensemble. An ambitious plot structure attempts to contain the myriad of concepts brought to life but this well-intentioned work needs editing.

A discussion about a nude portrait opens the play. In this Victorian era, the crowd is incited. The subject of the painting defiantly stares back at her gawkers. She knows who she is and is in “no coy denial”. How women are perceived is a major theme which courses through this dual tale.

Lucy is a woman from the Victorian period. She paints and gets involved with a mentor. Her relationship will eventually find her committed to an insane asylum. Izzy is a modern day young woman who has been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Two distinct stories “explore the parallels between each period’s approach to mental health, gender politics, and the personal and collective identities we create”.

This double track overlaps with Izzy and her friend reading Lucy’s memoir which just so happens to be on hand. While the subject matter may seem intensely depressing, there are many quips to keep the mood lighter than probable. Humor is used defensively as in “Xanax o’clock, my favorite time!” Izzy is particularly self-deprecating: “I guess dressing as a Goth seven year old isn’t hot”. She does want to be taken seriously. “I don’t want to come off as some spoiled pageant brat”.

The tonal shifts can be jarring given the intention to illuminate narratives about how the mental condition of women has been considered over the centuries. So-called groundbreaking work on hysteria from 1882 coexists with outpatient electroshock therapy. The messaging is consistent about the physical and emotional mistreatment of these women by examining the worlds in which they inhabit.

Three authors and two contributors have crammed a lot of plot into their piece. The play touches on too many hot button issues including race, social media, sexuality and drug abuse. One of the flippantly light spots teaches the concept of “subbing”. Taking medication under the tongue increases the potency. Then the joke: “Twice the taste in half the time for the psycho on the go!”

The shifting time periods and moods undercut the play’s clarity. Scenes change frequently often hurting the ability to absorb a storyline. Consequential mental health issues are both dramatized for their life and death significance as well as considered for a story in Teen Glamour magazine. The play also has to wrap up two endings and tie them together. It does that with last minute subplots.

#SoSadSoSexy has an interesting conceit which is overwhelmed by an excess of ideas and rapid changes in focus. The disturbing irony, however, is unique and edgy. Izzy’s pronouncement makes the point clear. “I’m the first girl to publicly document her slow death on Instagram. I’m gonna be famous”. When this material finds its main voice (or two), the mission to analyze a serious topic will be further realized.

#SoSadSoSexy produced by Tapestry Collective is performing at Off-Off Broadway’s artistic incubator The Tank through March 26, 2022. The show is also available for livestreaming.

www.thetanknyc.org

About This Reviewer - March 21, 2022March 21, 2022

7 Minutes (HERE Arts Center)

The workers in the spectacularly realized play 7 Minutes are facing a crisis. Their Connecticut textile factory has just been sold. The elected representatives of their union council have been called to a meeting. A decision awaits.

You enter the theater and seating is on all four sides of the room. This is the employee’s break area. You-Shin Chen’s scenic design is perfect. This is not a cushy conference room but instead an assemblage of assorted tables and chairs. Music intended to create a feeling of anxiety plays. Tension lies ahead.

Ten women (including gender non-conforming folx) are clearly on edge. Linda has been in a meeting for over three hours with “ten suits” and has not yet returned. She is their spokesperson. They represent two hundred people employed by this successful company. Linda is meeting with the new owners, some of whom are foreign investors. The number one worry is what will happen to their livelihood.

When Linda finally arrives after nearly four hours, she brings news. Management and their lawyers have a very specific proposal. The council has only ninety minutes to vote. Some view the choice as a simple one; others do not. Eavesdropping on this debate is the fabric of this play.

The council members look like a broad spectrum of the American worker, including many immigrants. Perspectives are varied so the depth of the conversation is engrossing and complicated. How do you approach this decision from your point of view? From your age? From your personal responsibilities?

Each character has a distinct and recognizable voice. Their interactions are vividly realistic from the good natured needling to the outright accusations. The Linda role takes the position of emcee and provocateur. Unfolding layers of individual realities emerge. This decision may or may not be easy. Opposing points of view is a quandary to be solved. Or not.

Unfettered capitalism is the target of Stefano Massini’s play as was the case in his extraordinary The Lehman Trilogy. The council is advised to think carefully. So is the audience. How would you vote and why? Your own life experience will affect how you process the for or against alternatives. Lehman Brothers is gone now but the legacy of strife between American workers and their employers (and government) continues.

Mirroring life, these people have diverse personalities. One with a sense of humor notes that their worst nightmare is to be locked in a factory filled with pictures of her mother made by her mother. Others are intense and describe the current environment as a “cesspool of a world”. The seriousness of the situation is riveting: “we are hacking ourselves to pieces just to save our skins”.

Mei Ann Teo’s meticulous direction has a riveting “you are there” feel. The undulating physical movement through this breakroom nicely focuses attention on each speaker. Their frame of reference makes the discussion compelling and richly complicated. Where this play ends is anyone’s guess. That’s the drama on display and it is a triumphant dissection of topics quite real and, for many, urgently important.

The eleven performances are terrific. Each of them breathes life into the patchwork quilt that is our so-called melting pot. You listen to those who are talking and observe those who are listening and reacting. Along the way inner truths and ideas emerge. They are not all easily digested by them or, by extension, us. Having doubts may be a luxury compared to food on a table or medicine for a child. 7 Minutes is a superior piece of theater firmly planted in today’s America.

7 Minutes is being presented by Waterwell in association with Working Theater through April 9, 2022 at HERE Arts Center.

www.here.org

www.waterwell.org

www.theworkingrheater.org

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/thelehmantrilogy

About This Reviewer - March 18, 2022

Sometime Child: a Reclamation and a Redemption

L-R: Walker Clermont, Liam Kyle McGowan. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.

On one side of the stage there is a tony law office with its desks, books and golf clubs. The opposite side is a representation of a poor urban neighborhood. Garbage litters the ground. Stark contrasts between the “haves” and the “have nots” are on full display in the new play Sometime Child: a Reclamation and a Redemption.

John Stanley is a successful lawyer and a do-gooder. He writes large checks for the unfortunate but steers clear of any physical contact such as attending a charity dinner. His office straddles a sketchy part of town. Despite his apparent wealth he parks his car a distance away to save on fees. One evening his is mugged and beaten badly by two high school dropouts.

Clarence and Bobby are the products of severely broken homes. Clarence is barely scraping by as a janitor in a hospital. Bobby’s line of work “gets me lots of Benjamins”. He is a petty thief and the boastful leader of this duo. He seems satisfied with his life; surviving or thriving depending on the day.

Lawyer John lands in the hospital where Clarence works. A tentative rapport begins to develop between them. He gives Clarence the book Moby Dick to read at home. While the selection of that Melville novel seems wildly farfetched due to its infamously complex prose, the relationship organically meshes as they bond over the novel. The character of Queequeg becomes a catalyst for discussing race. The evolving chemistry between the actors Stephan Morrow and the younger Walker Clermont is first-rate.

As you might expect, there is a generational divide between them besides their socioeconomic differences. John describes his nurse (Irma Cadiz) as a “combination of Nurse Ratchett and Hot Lips Houlihan”. It’s hard to imagine Clarence having any idea what he is talking about. The cultural gap may be wide but the two find some common ground. This purposeful tale progresses to one in which empathy and communication are proffered as a pathway to meaningful change.

A Teen Chorus is employed to comment on the action. They follow the tribulations of Clarence and Bobby and demonstrate how older role models influence the community both positively and negatively. They “read” headlines which define their world and its overwhelming challenges. The chorus is lightly goofy and humorous. What seems silly and ridiculous at first progresses into a charming device to keep the story from becoming heavy handed and also relatable to a younger audience.

Richard Bruce’s play is certainly commenting on our inequitable society. What makes this story compelling is its focus on demonstrating the power of an individual’s capacity to reach across the divide. On both sides. There is a beautifully realized section commenting on our various English dialects that nails the point firmly.

The storyline contains interesting twists and turns which not only propel the plot forward but also provide challenging opportunities for character growth. I saw a multi-million dollar Broadway show about race and circumstance the night before I saw Sometime Child. This off-off Broadway production was far more emotionally engaging and clearly had a point of view.

Director Morrow (who is also the lawyer) nicely balances the tonal shifts of Mr. Bruce’s thoughtful piece. The Greek chorus could be integrated even further into the production. They sit on the sidelines with repetitive entrances and exits. There are a number of set changes in which they could be employed to physically intermingle and more directly underscore the well articulated messages of this play. All four of them were amusing, however, and Ciara Chanel Allen was a particular standout.

The story arc was effective due to excellent performances by Walker Clermont as Clarence and his two main points of contact. His two central relationships with troubled Bobby (Liam Kyle McGowan) and the aggressively helpful John Stanley (Mr. Morrow) are soundly rendered and expand fittingly.

The opening and ending scenes are slightly clunky to kick things off and wrap them up but the goals for this philosophical narrative are clearly realized in this staging. In a world where solutions seem impossible, Sometime Child exists to inspire and provoke.

Sometime Child: A Reclamation and a Redemption is running at the Theater for the New City through March 27, 2022.

www.theaterforthenewcity.net

About This Reviewer - March 15, 2022

Flash/Frozen

A True Story from 1961

In this year of the bizarre ice skating competition at the Winter Olympics, Flash/Frozen arrives Off-Off Broadway to tell a story I did not know. A fatal plane crash in 1961 killed the entire U.S. skating team on its way to the World Championships in Prague.

Tim Brown was a four time silver medalist at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and also won two silvers at World’s. In 1961 he won the bronze and qualified for the Olympic team. He did not travel due to illness and the fourth place finisher, Doug Ramsay, boarded that fateful plane.

Lance Ringel has dramatized this tragic event through these two people. Tim was the experienced veteran who never beat his nemesis David Jenkins, the 1960 Olympic gold medalist and a four time champ at nationals. His bitterness is tongue-in-cheek bitchy and entertaining.

Sixteen year old Doug was the up and coming star. He was famous for being an audience favorite. In our modern era of Nathan Chen’s multiple quadruple jump performances, this teenager wowed with the triple jump. He was the only skater at the 1961 U.S. competition to perform one.

The play has a pseudo-documentary structure. A film of JFK’s inauguration on January 20, 1961 opens the show. We hear him say that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans. The play starts on that date and concludes less than a month later. In that time both men tell their stories and share their dreams.

Clint Hromsco portrays Tim Brown, always the second banana. After the crash he tells us the press was “merciless”. He cheated death. The unanswerable question: “how do you get over something like that?” His performance nicely straddles the line between unlikable and likable so he is an absorbing character.

Riley Fisher engagingly conjures up the twinkle eye sparkling newness of youth as Doug Ramsay. There is a nice contrast written into this plot contrasting the established veteran against the future star. We see it in sports all the time and it works well here.

The play could be enhanced with a third role. The voiceover narration attempts to set the action and propel the dates forward. An observer looking back at this catastrophe might add an additional level of analysis to what is essentially back and forth monologues.

The concept of “compulsory figures” is an important part of this story. Way back when, these circular patterns counted for as much as sixty percent of the total score. You can understand why the young jumper is bummed he placed fourth due to a disappointing result in this area. I attended the show with someone born after ice skating dropped this element. A narrator could also help fill in the blanks as we did after the play ended.

Wyatt Stone’s figure skating choreography is cutely clever and additive to the tale. Flash/Frozen reminds us that chance is a part of life. Mr. Ringel’s play easily could have been depressing but instead manages to keep the spirit of these athletes alive. This hour long piece could further grow by adding additional spins but the story and the telling were both interesting and a tad heartbreaking.

Flash/Frozen is being performed at Theatre Row through March 20, 2022.

www.bfany.org/theatre-row

About This Reviewer - March 3, 2022

FRIGID: Are You Loving It? & My Grandmother’s Eye Patch (FRIGID Festival Part 9)

FRIGID Festival 2022 (Part 9)

The 16th Annual FRIGID Festival is in its final week in New York City. The FRIGID Festival is an open and uncensored theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in a venue that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. Since this year’s performances are both live and livestreamed, there are many chances to see some Indie theater works. 100% of all ticket sales go to the artists. There is a tip jar after each show for the festival.

Are You Lovin’ It?

Trippy cartoon or subversive critique? This pedal to the metal freak show swings broadly at its huge targets. Loud, bizarre, idiotic and colorful are just some of the many adjectives that describe Are You Lovin’ It? The well known commercial tag line for McDonald’s asks the titular question. Theatre Group GUMBO offers an answer in this eye popping spectacle of oddness and invention.

Red and orange are the appropriate colors. “Welcome to WacDonald’s” begins this performance. Sarcasm is flung immediately. “Super healthy!” WacDonald’s is “no fear, no anxiety, no borders”. The two clownish dancers twirl up a frothy shake of corporate plastic smiles and moron speech.

A Japanese businessman then arrives in a suit and tie. He is laughing excessively and aggressively. He’s so excited because this is “my first vacation ever”. We learn that he lost his family. That’s ok since “I’m a Japanese businessman”. His phone rings. It’s the boss. A hilarious tribute to Yes Men everywhere is punctuated with frantic bowing and “I’m sorry”.

The skewering of Japanese and American cultures continues. The businessman’s intestines come out of his body and become props for the clowns to play with. A lady with a baby stroller appears wearing an outfit with pink ruffles. “Something stinks,” she exclaims. “Let’s find out where this smell is coming from” precedes a poo poo dance.

There is more than a subtle connection to the heinous quality of food offered by WacDonald’s. The Japanese business man picks up the baby to help stop it from crying. “She bites my nipple” so maybe she is hungry. In dances our two clowns and the “Super Happy Meal”. We learn that “there is no one who doesn’t like this food”.

“Pink slime patty” aside, the show thrashes incomprehensibly through Donald Trump, cleansing American dirty blood, a rap and glow in the dark light rod dances. A sign is held for an audience member who is a “Romeo type”. “America, America, where art thou?”

From this point, things proceed to escalate into even wilder weirdness and overt condemnation of greed, power and white supremacy. The looniness of the piece keeps the insane edge happily baring its giddy teeth through the baby thrown out with the bathwater. Well, not exactly. The WacDonald’s way is more disturbing and jaw dropping.

Are You Lovin’ It? is unique and hilarious but also smart and self-aware. The show is crazy just like the world it wishes to eviscerate. This production will not be for everyone’s taste just like the food purveyor it ridicules so mercilessly.

My Grandmother’s Eye Patch

“Thank you all so much for being here tonight to celebrate” Grandma Mamie. Julia VanderVeen’s eulogy is titled My Grandmother’s Eye Patch. This eccentric comedy is a hot mess. You might cover your eyes too but you’ll agree with the author at the end when she declares “this is so stupid”.

Grandma’s sense of humor inspires this maniacal cavalcade of lunacy. A waiter is asked “how do you prepare the chicken?” The answer is “nothing special, we just tell them they’re going to die”. Macbeth is then referenced to bring one of this show’s main themes of nihilism to center stage. “It is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.

A reasonable interpretation of the idiot in question is the granddaughter herself. Magic tricks are next along with some audience banter. She boasts if you give her a word, she’ll write a poem about it. Someone offers “subterfuge” which was very funny but passed on. Using “southern inspired poetry” while wearing a baseball cap and holding a metal bowl spittoon, fear was the word chosen.

Another section instructs “how to bring someone back from the dead in five easy steps”. Ms. VanderVeen conjures up a successful seance. “Let’s go back to when I was young, bitch”. By the time this show gets to synovial fluid most of you will join me and confidently pronounce this eulogist off her proverbial rocker.

There is a briefly serious turn toward the end of this piece which helps explain the point of this journey. A mishap during the singing of “Wind Beneath My Wings” pulls the narrative back into unhinged territory. The show may be designed as an intentional pig’s breakfast. A cool image projected at the end suggests that this show was a heartfelt tribute to an importantly personal relationship.

Performances at the Frigid Festival are running through March 6, 2022. All shows are performed multiple times at either the Kraine Theater or Under St Mark’s. Tickets can also be purchased for the livestream which was effective and provides these artists more opportunities to be seen and supported.

www.frigid.nyc

About This Reviewer - February 28, 2022

FRIGID: The Lonely Road, Love & Sex on the Spectrum and StarSweeper (FRIGID Festival Part 8)

FRIGID Festival 2022 (Part 8)

The 16th Annual FRIGID Festival is underway in New York City. The FRIGID Festival is an open and uncensored theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in a venue that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. Since this year’s performances are both live and livestreamed, there are many chances to see some Indie theater works. 100% of all ticket sales go to the artists. There is a tip jar after each show for the festival.

The Lonely Road

At the age of 23, Will Clegg sarcastically finds himself living “everyone’s dream” when he returns to his parent’s house in North Carolina. A combination of events trigger this change notably a girlfriend who ended their relationship. “Instead of being depressed” he plans a road trip. The Lonely Road is his commentary on a impassionate journey.

Photography centers the man and his story. Mr. Clegg is drawn to the images created by Gary Winogrand in 1964. In order to understand why he is so drawn to these photos, he decides to grab fifty rolls of film, borrow a car and pursue his passion. He too will travel the United States and capture America along the way.

Before embarking on that trip he begins to dive further into his now broken relationship with Alison. They met in college when he directed her in a play. Head over heels in love, those first few months were “intoxicating”. A trip to Rome, another actress in another cast and you can guess the rest. Crying, he confesses his transgression. Sparring ensues; half truths are revealed.

On June 26, 2003, the road trip commences. He travels to New Orleans, through Texas and into California. The stories in each section are filled with interesting and often witty details. A friend’s band named Mexico 1910 is “instrumental only”. He eats barbeque with Republicans noting “they’re sweet though”.

In West Texas he begins to listen to a CD by The Postal Service, the last thing Allison gave him before breaking up. A “sad hipster whining” about his ex-girlfriend was his first reaction but this listen speaks to him differently. He comes to realize that now he is the sad hipster whining. A portion of The Lonely Road comes across as that.

Photos he took along the way are projected on the screen and he begins to see a recurring theme. Sharing this perspective accompanied by the visuals is the alluring part of this self-analysis. By the time he gets to Los Angeles, the self-doubts overwhelm and insecurities take command.

He took a picture at a protest of a sign which said “TELL THE TRUTH!” Mr. Clegg proceeds to do just that to himself and then to Allison. By the play’s end there is no resolution. Like life, the present is just another stop along the way to the future. This rendition veers dangerously close to self-pity at times but certainly reflects the emotional woes of an openly heartbroken guy.

Love & Sex on the Spectrum

At 28 years old George Steeves loses his virginity. He has Asperger’s and ADHD which has resulted in his being a late bloomer sexually. Love & Sex on the Spectrum opens with a short reenactment of a painful recollection. “Porn Hub made this all look so simple,” he quips.

Anal penetration is compared to a nasal COVID test as one is not sure how deep it would go in the first time it happens. The material is blunt and told in a lighthearted and jokey manner. This play is described as “an atypical romantic comedy”. That is true.

The tale concerns one man’s sexual awakening from his first orgasm in twelve years to becoming a dating app addict. Amusingly these hookups are given names of boy band singers. His “higher than average intellectual ability coupled with impaired social skills” inform his dating tendencies which cover men of many ages and decades.

After a series of casual sex stories (“swipe left, next date”), the monologue turns to his search for identity. He grew up in a stereotypical WASP family with no talking about sex or emotions. At school they called him gay. “He’s more Golden Girls… I’m Designing Women“. There is an abundance of energy and enthusiasm in the performance which does help elevate the telling from just being a raunchy yet well-intended coming out narrative.

“I kissed over two hundred guys. I was hoping that one of them would be my Prince Charming”. Mr. Steeves’s chronicle turns introspective once the wild oats are sowed. He does get serious before inserting another punchline such as “you’ve never lived until you’ve been to a gay pool party”. Love & Sex on the Spectrum is straightforward and direct, rambling and unfocused, more than a trifle silly and a niche entertainment. The messaging about loving yourself, on the other hand, is universal.

StarSweeper

Sergeant Riley is 532 million kilometers from Earth. A lost crew of humans is missing somewhere and she petitioned to navigate a second search team. Presented by Team Theatre, StarSweeper is a peek into her five year solo mission also known as a “half decade of utter and complete solitude to look forward to”.

The year is 2448. The USS Copperfield is broadcasting on all frequencies searching for a distressed vessel. Our plucky heroine is making the best of the situation. She tries exercise. Bourbon “looks a lot like sweet tea”. She is holding on against hope in the void of space. But it can be dullsville at times. “The thing about astrofood is that it gets pretty boring after a few years”.

Some jokes tickle the funny bone. Riley has an onboard computer friend like Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Time passes and there are problems to deal with of varying importance. A dental issue results in a tooth extraction. Danger lights will blink red. The worries intensify “until the oxygen runs out and the temperature regulators turn off”. Abject fear about floating around for all eternity results in a declaration: “I just want a hug”.

Humanity is considered within the storytelling of StarSweeper. An archeological observation about the discovery of a mended broken bone on a skeleton points the way. There is thoughtfulness in the writing and a winning guide who does not shy away from looking goofy.

Mikeala Duffy has created a interesting scenario which is especially suitable for a small theater environment. Recording entries into a mission log is the primary plot device. There could be even more memorable events scattered into this galactic tale to accompany the general narration provided by this do-gooder. “I’ll just be happy to go home with or without a book deal,” Riley admits when the chips are temporarily down.

www.frigid.nyc

About This Reviewer - February 27, 2022

FRIGID: Bathroom of a Bar on Bleeker & A Public Private Prayer (FRIGID Festival Part 7)

FRIGID Festival 2022 (Part 7)

Bathroom of a Bar on Bleeker

If you enjoy theater that is challenging, esoteric, bizarre, incoherent, aggressively non-linear, possible insane and likely brilliant, then take a seat at the Bathroom of a Bar on Bleeker. Mike Lemme’s script walks a high wire. Scary but you cannot look away.

Ominous thriller is the opening vibe. Jack is screaming out like a madman. “You better hope they kill me because if they don’t I’m putting a bullet in all your fucking heads”. He has a script in his hand. Today he is recording his farewell podcast episode. Granny Annie’s Happy Pills is a sponsor.

Returning to serious, Jack’s wife and kids were kidnapped six days ago and are being held in Montreal. According to President Chickenshit, his family will be released when Jack meets all of the Canadian Prime Minister’s demands. Jack is feeding his followers with rants seemingly both real and imagined. His flock is called the turdalurds.

From here the play careens around the corner to meta. An excellent Emil Frezola goes off script yelling “anybody know what page we’re on”? (That’s not off script by the way.) The plot meanders about a toilet in a bathroom where a very successful podcast has been recorded for some time. None of this would have ever happened if it wasn’t for Joe Rogan who “has provided more opportunities for pathetic white men to succeed than slavery”.

Bolts of abuse fly as do sarcastic zingers. A family story is told which helps us understand how this particular toilet came to be chosen fifteen years prior. Jack tells about a family visit to Rockefeller Center with his son Joey. He notes “for all you Australians out there, I’m not talking about a kangaroo”. Consuming a buffet of writing styles is at least half the fun here.

Mr. Lemme also includes a few teaching moments. Jack advises his turdalurds to “stop marrying your cousins”. The direct jabs at the stupid and the conspiracy theory mouthpieces they rabidly adore are obvious and humorous. They provide structure and societal commentary. The more serious self-analysis, however, supplies the super juice: a window into mental health. The colors are dark and vivid.

Lauren Arneson’s lighting design nicely showcases the varying moods and claustrophobia of this psychotic episode. Shows such as Bathroom of a Bar on Bleeker are the reason to try something unique at a theater festival such as this one. A fart machine is used which sets the place. The words keep you guessing. Watch and listen closely. A rawness underneath emerges. Is this a confession, a parable or a just a tirade? Not being sure is exactly what makes this idiosyncratic drama a satisfying treat.

A Public Private Prayer

Another strong festival performance by Grant Bowen graces the heartfelt meditation that is A Public Private Prayer. Do you believe in god? Has that answer changed over time? Will the question ever be truly resolved? And when?

A great story opens this play. A baby bird meets an unfortunate death. Mr. Bowen is a young boy at the time and asks if he “can pray for it?” The innocence of youth is brilliantly illuminated when he says “please help this little bird finds it way into heaven”. Praying made the kids feel better. The experience informs his belief in the power of prayer.

The author and performer is an actor by training. He grew up outside Birmingham, Alabama where his church was a “massive community center”. Both parents are lyrically described as “unavoidably, undeniably human”. They believed “Jesus was the answer”. The thrust of his story is a dissolution of his belief in god over time. As an actor, “talking to imaginary scene partners is the only thing I’m qualified to do”.

What about hell? He learns that he will not go there since he is Christian. The material may be familiar to anyone who has wrestled with wide eyed openness to challenge the questionable dogma of their own religious upbringing. A pensive tone envelopes this quest with warmth and honesty.

There are many paths and detours Mr. Bowen guides through as he recounts his spiritual journey. Details add color to his personality. There is a satisfying feeling of completeness as he expresses a continual evolution. The gorgeous ending of this play is a revelatory beam of sunshine.

How can one religion be so certain it is the right one? That’s a question I have asked myself too. The themes addressed in A Public Private Prayer are particularly interesting to me. The overall presentation is so well done that I experienced a profoundly different yet similar journey in a fresh and rewarding way.

Performances at the Frigid Festival are running through March 5, 2022. All shows are performed multiple times at either the Kraine Theater or Under St Mark’s. Tickets can also be purchased for the livestream which was effective and provides these artists more opportunities to be seen and supported.

www.frigid.nyc

About This Reviewer - February 25, 2022

FRIGID: Pueblo Revolt and Eleanor Conway: Vaxxed & Waxxed (FRIGID Festival Part 6)

FRIGID Festival 2022 (Part 6)

Pueblo Revolt

The year is 1680. Two brothers are living in what is now New Mexico on the cusp of what is to become the Pueblo Revolt. The indigenous Pueblo people were successful in driving the Spanish colonizers out of their region. This story considers the impact of such a historical event on individual lives.

“You may now put on your blindfolds” is the instruction as the show commences. The company No Peeking Theatre produces experimental theater that is sensory, experiential and blind. Audience members place blindfolds over their eyes. Streaming viewers convert to an image with the words “no peeking” on their screen.

The sound of birds chirping is heard. Sound effects throughout the show are additive to the listening experience. I cannot say the blind viewing seemed anything other than gimmicky. During the pandemic, I listened to quite a few audio plays. This experience is sort of similar.

One of the brothers is attacked on his way home with groceries. “I didn’t think to ask my attackers why they are attacking me”. Are you “victim blaming?” This play is written in a modern vernacular which can occasionally pull the listener out of the period which I assume is intentional.

A plan is discussed to go to all the pueblos so the people can rise up and conquer their oppressors. They want to drive out “ALL OF THEM”. The baker’s family, however, just got there. One brother has a crush on the baker’s son. The other points out that with religion and the Spanish rule, “you hide your gayness”. If the revolt is successful, “you can live the way our ancestor’s wished”. The plot touches on this two-spirit concept used by some modern LGBT native peoples but it is a sidebar to the recounting of this history.

Turning back to the revolt, they discuss spreading the word to “our banjo playing spam eating cousins”. Wearing a Christian cross is a “get out of jail card”. The cutesy dialogue competes uncomfortably with the more serious exposition. A tendency to create speeches containing lists (names, weapons) is repetitive.

Pueblo Revolt takes aim at illuminating a rare event in American history; a winning defense against colonization, if briefly. The hodgepodge of ideas confuse the listener. When the play ends and blindfolds are removed, you realize that a peek into this important moment in history, while ambitious, was not focused enough.

Eleanor Conway: Vaxxed & Waxxed

This comedienne from the UK is unquestionably a force of nature. She is also a self-proclaimed “London cunt”. Your ability to enjoy Eleanor Conway: Vaxxed and Waxxed will be relational to your feelings about that word specifically and vaginas more generally. One audience member exclaimed “oh my god” out loud. “Who said that?” she asks. “you don’t like that word but I do”.

Her first trip to New York provides an opportunity for some observations and goals. She wants to see the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and “to fuck a Republican” also known as “hot hate sex”. She asks us to imagine a world where Donald Trump is “your best lay; poked in the back with a button mushroom”. Ms. Conway can be crudely funny.

Much of her performance concerns itself with her analysis of and advice for achieving her best orgasms. Hook up apps and stinky penises are featured prominently. Teaching skills are in full view. I even learned what a “period dance” is. The material is silly and bawdy with an intention to shock and awe.

There are some great moments amidst the avalanche of pussy talk. The title of this piece includes the word vaxxed. She laments the stupid anti-vaxxers. “You and your husband have a high school diploma”. They will not take the vaccine but in their youth would “eat drugs that you found on a dance floor”. Hilarious stuff.

The pinnacle of this show for me was undoubtedly her manic rant about women doing all the work for her man and her children. No spoilers here; it’s simply uproarious.

This show is not for the prudish or, perhaps, even Republicans as a whole. Here’s an entrance test. Ms. Conway confesses “I’m not really a dominatrix. I just want my pussy licked”. If you think to yourself, “I’d like to get to know her better” then this show may be for you. It’s wildly uneven, however, just like her sexual experiences.

www.frigid.nyc

About This Reviewer - February 24, 2022February 24, 2022

FRIGID: Driver’s Seat, Human Flailings & Portly Lutheran Know-It-All (FRIGID Festival Part 5)

FRIGID Festival 2022 (Part 5)

The 16th Annual FRIGID Festival is underway in New York City. The FRIGID Festival is an open and uncensored theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in a venue that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. Since this year’s performances are both live and livestreamed, there are many chances to see some Indie theater works. 100 % of all ticket sales go to the artists. There is a tip jar after each show for the festival.

Driver’s Seat

“How would I end my life? There are so many options.” Ellie Brelis begins her intimate play Driver’s Seat with an openness that never subsides. Riveting throughout, her story comes across as an important one that could truly be inspirational and educational.

Obsessive compulsive disorder, she informs, is a monster in your mind. It lies to you every day. Manifestations can be quirky like having to say things such as “I love you” an even number of times (2,4,6,8…). She’s always been terrified to drive a car due to her OCD. This play was written after a breakup with a significant boyfriend. A rage playlist is created to get her through that tribulation.

Amazingly this tale is filled with humor. Mugs and puzzles are punished to teach him a lesson “so clearly I can be a little petty”. Having OCD is “like having acne and freckles; you can’t really see it”. Ms. Brelis admits to becoming “generally scared of myself” and her Dad drove her to a mental health hospital. She recounts her experiences, her growth and her stumbles. The performance is a fascinating and memorable combination of very positive energy from a big personality counterbalanced against a life story infused with darkness.

In addition to detailing her mental health challenges and treatments there is a coming out story. Once that happens “it feels like I can breathe”. A month later she cuts her hair in order to “be a little gayer”. She makes us laugh again. “I was hurting so bad I actually got bangs”.

Exposure therapy is sadistic in her analysis. You “trigger yourself” then “sit with discomfort and anxiety. A later journey finds her calling Dad again since she does not want to be alone with herself. “Treatment is not a scar” instead it is an “open wound of gratitude”. There is so much effective poetry and imagery in this play.

At first I was overwhelmed by the speed of dialogue to be honest. I thought she might be racing through this overwhelmingly personal story. I was wrong. When she eventually slows the pace down, the effect is dramatic and potent.

Anyone confronting their own mental health issues could benefit from the refreshing honesty and depth of this memoir. Skye Murie’s direction supplements this material with detailed touches which are brilliantly simple and thoughtful. The ending is hopeful yet realistic. A triumphant entry into this festival.

Human Flailings

Jude-Treder Wolff is a creative arts therapist whose life story overflows with Human Flailings. Her professional expertise is evident in her performance. She easily combines wit with candor. Although this tale derails somewhat due to its massive scope, there are many enjoyments to be had along the way.

A workshop entitled Manifesting Your Feelings is where her story begins. She attends these to better understand why people love self-help books so much. Conference attendees include white haired “women who run with wolves and live on the Upper East Side”. The concept in question: “if you think it, it will happen”.

She meets Lacey and the two hit it off immediately. A visit to her new pal’s Brooklyn apartment enables Ms. Wolff to shine. Her description of entering the living room paints an indelible picture. That skill is again utilized at a business planning meeting in a corporate park in Summit, New Jersey. She and Lacey are presenting a segment on creativity in a “people of Earth” conference room with a “breakfast banquet against the wall”. The attendees are uninterested; “it’s a cold war”.

The show covers her work terrain including an ex-partner Diane and her new partner Lacey. Issues are discussed but intriguing similarities about falling out of touch in both relationships could be explored even further. The show veers off into her domineering father and her “big act of rebellion”. She learns to play her father’s guitar and a song is sung.

The music subtheme, however, is nicely combined with an absorbing and quite moving section about a bereavement camp for kids. As the show covers so much ground (including the game rock, paper, scissors), Human Flailings is an appropriate title. Like all promising creative endeavors, this one is sure “to be continued”.

Portly Lutheran Know-It-All

Clutching a Bible, Matt Storrs tells his coming of age story as a Portly Lutheran Know-It-All. “I was fat” he declares. Weight issues seem to heavily influence his sense of self but this tale is far more concerned with religion and schooling. For those who want a glimpse into the teaching of evolution at the Missouri Synod Lutheran School, here is an opportunity.

From the first grade Mr. Storrs seems to be at odds with his Biblical upbringing. He wanted to be a purple witch for Halloween. His parents would have preferred warlock and the kids called him gay. From his hilariously titled “Extreme Teen Bible” he recites passages and tells personal anecdotes. Evolutionists “want god but they also want to be smart”. When the barbs land they are funny.

His school did not believe in evolution as the Earth’s fossil record contains no “in between” animals. There is no half-cow or half-whale to explain how these creatures are related. To prove the point, his teacher took two separate stuffed animals, split them in half and resewed them back together. The front half was a cow; the back half a whale. “You don’t see any of these guys in the fossil record now do you?” Mr. Storrs raises his hand and says “looks like a manatee”. A suspension from science class follows.

Revelations such as these are tasty indeed. His renditions of school presentations featuring the Song of Solomon and a mock trial where he defends Judas are high points.

For some reason the storytelling turns to more mundane pagan matters. A new girl comes to school and invites him to a party where spin the bottle is played. A new friend Terry enables personal growth. That is part of his story for sure but the know-it-all vibe promised in the title is very unique as is his slightly off-putting presentation style. Some of this material is heavenly sent loony tunes. Other sections are stuck in purgatory.