Review - Twenty Years of Dating . . . (The Duplex Cabaret Theatre)

Melissa Driscol is back at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre performing her second solo show, Twenty Years of Dating . . . . Weaving together an eclectic mix of songs, Driscol's latest show is a dating parade full of humor, embarrassment, love, broken hearts, and above all, hope.

Though appearing somewhat nervous during her first two numbers ('Walk Like a Man' and 'My Guy') and the stories that accompany them, Driscol quickly warmed up and hit her stride. Balancing humor (her take on Kate Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl' and an amusing seduction scene set to 'My Humps' by the Black Eyed Peas) with genuine emotion ('Hold On' from The Secret Garden and 'A Way Back to Then' from [title of show]) allow her to showcase both her creativity and her range. However, Driscol truly shines when performing songs by local cabaret stalwarts Maria Gentile and Scott Evan Davis (Gentile also directs, while Davis provides musical direction and backup vocals). Gentile's songs ('Friend of Mine' and 'Work in Progress') bring out a depth and maturity in Driscol's performance that is ultimately much more satisfying than the pop songs.

Featuring backup by a talented group of musicians and a fair number of guests, Twenty Years of Dating . . . is the latest feather in the cap of a this up-and-coming cabaret talent. Sadly, Twenty Years of Dating . . . has an extremely short run - February 20th and February 28th, but Driscol can be seen every Monday and Tuesday night downstairs at the Duplex Piano Bar.

Written by Melissa E. Driscol
Musical Direction by Scott Evan Davis
Directed by Maria Gentile
Featuring Jimmy Keaton

The Duplex Cabaret Theatre
61 Christopher Street

Friday, February 20th, 9:30 PM
Saturday, February 28th, 10 PM

Review - Raised in Captivity (Red Fern Theatre Company)

Review by Byrne Harrison

You think your life is bad? Chances are it's pretty good compared to those of the characters portrayed in Nicky Silver's Raised in Captivity. Silver's dark absurdist comedy is filled with damaged people, desperate need and longing, failed attempts to connect, and some good laughs.

Sebastian (Josh Lefkowitz) and Bernadette (Emilie Elizabeth Miller) are estranged twins brought together by the death of their mother. Bernadette is married to Kip (Bryant Mason), a dentist who hates teeth. Both long for an escape from their lives. Sebastian is still grieving his lover, Simon, who died from AIDS eleven years earlier. The closest he has come to a relationship in recent years is with Dylan (José Joaquín Pérez), a convicted murder on death row with whom he has become pen pals. Despite Bernadette's pleas for Sebastian to come stay with them, it's met with great relief on all sides when he doesn't.

Sebastian's only other significant relationship is with his clingy, needy therapist (Jennifer Dorr White). After four years without any growth or change, he fires her. Her abandonment issues lead her down a path of lunacy much greater than her clients likely ever faced. Blinded and homeless, she nevertheless jumps at the chance to help Sebastian when he is nearly killed by a hustler (Pérez) who slashes him in a pickup turned robbery. Moving in with Kip and Bernadette, who are helping Sebastian through his convalescence, her presence only makes Sebastian withdraw further, and drives a wedge between Kip and Bernadette, finally bringing everything to a head, and giving the characters the change the so desperately need.

Silver's dialogue is marvelous and witty, with a surprising depth. This is particularly true in a scene where Sebastian is describing Simon's death while Dylan describes the murder he committed. The humor is always laced with a little venom or a hint of the gallows. It's a pleasure to hear.

Jennifer Dorr White as Hillary steals the show. Though Hillary is unbalanced, and eventually unhygenic, White nonetheless imparts a certain dignity to her, without undercutting her basic desperation. Lefkowitz as Sebastian does well, though his chemistry with Pérez (either as Dylan or as Roger, the hustler) brings out the best in him. Both Mason and Miller as Kip and Bernadette acquit themselves well, but there is a flatness to their characters. Although they provide some of the laugh lines of the show (Bernadette in particular), their characters seem underdeveloped.

The Red Fern Theatre Company does an admirable job brining Raised in Captivity to life. Dominic D'Andrea's direction is strong, though a decision to have various monologues spoken into downstage microphones is awkward. Scenic and lighting designers Eliza Brown and Jessica Greenberg, respectively, do well with the Shell Theater's tiny space.

Raised in Captivity won't be for everyone. But for audience members looking for a challenge, it is well worth checking out.

Written by Nicky Silver
Directed by Dominic D'Andrea
Scenic Designer: Eliza Brown
Costume Designer: Emily DeAngelis
Lighting Designer: Jessica Greenberg
Sound Designer: Daniel Kluger
Fight Director: Qui Nguyen
Properties Designer: Ashton Giaume
Stage Manager: Erienne Wredt
Assistant Director: T.J. Clark
Illustrator: Chris Flecker

Featuring: Josh Lefkowitz (Sebastian), Bryant Mason (Kip), Emilie Elizabeth Miller (Bernadette), José Joaquín Pérez (Roger/Dylan), Jennifer Dorr White (Hillary/Miranda)

The Shell Theater
300 W. 43rd Street

January 29th-February 15th

Announcement - 20 Years of Dating . . . (The Duplex Cabaret Theatre)

The Duplex Cabaret Theatre presents:

MELISSA E. DRISCOL

in

20 Years of Dating . . .

Friday, February 20th, at 9:30 pm

Saturday, February 28th, at 10:00 pm

Melissa E. Driscol will be returning to the Duplex stage for her second solo cabaret on Friday, February 20th, at 9:30pm, and Saturday, February 28th, at 10:00pm.

There is a $10 cover, as well as a two drink minimum. A $5 discount is available to members of the Actors’ Equity Association and the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC).

The Duplex Cabaret Theatre is located at 61 Christopher St., in the heart of New York's West Village. For reservations, please log on to: http://www.theduplex.com/.

20 Year of Dating . . . features an eclectic selection of songs and stories. Styles range from Motown to Broadway to Pop/Rock, and many of the songs were written by songwriters still living and writing in New York. Song choices include: 'Friend of Mine' by Maria Gentile, 'Tractor Song' by Robby Stamper, 'A Way Back to Then' from [title of show], 'Hold On' from Secret Garden, 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley, 'Candyman' by Christina Aguilera, and many more. The title song is 'Work in Progress,' written by Maria Gentile and Scott Evan Davis, who also direct the show.

Melissa E. Driscol’s cabaret debut was in 2005 with For a Good Time Call . . . , a show written by Driscol and Hannah Ingram. Melissa started writing 20 Years of Dating . . . while in Italy last year. Inspired by dating a young man from Naples, as well as all of the amazing scenery, she could not wait to get back to the Duplex to share these fun stories. Melissa is a 6-year member of the Duplex family and can be seen every week at The Duplex Piano Bar on Monday and Tuesday nights.

For more information, please visit: www.melissadriscol.com.

Review - Sunday on the Rocks (Those Girls Productions)

Review by Byrne Harrison

Photo courtesy of Those Girls Productions

It's probably not a good sign when you wake up early on a Sunday only to find one of your roommates on the back porch pouring herself a scotch. But a day full of liquor, gossip, dark secrets, smoking, and snack food does more than just piss off your uptight, church-going roommate. In Theresa Rebeck's Sunday on the Rocks these situations can cement and tear apart relationships, all the while shining a light on how women relate to themselves, each another and the men they date.

Elly (Marion Attal) has just found out she's pregnant. Shaken by the news, she has to decide what to do next. She has a man who loves her and wants to marry her, but this is not the life she wants for herself. On the other end of the spectrum is Jessica (Alexsandra Bailey). Uptight, moral and self-assured, what she wants most is a man who loves her and will start a family with her. Instead, she has a longtime boyfriend who seems perfectly happy with the status quo. Even though Jessica doesn't appear until Act 2, her shadow hangs over everything in this play. She chose the furniture on the back porch that Elly, Gayle (Rebecca Rose McCain), and Jen (Meagan Barno) all hate. She has rules about smoking, eating, cleaning, drinking and any other behavior that you can think of. Even when the other roommates are on their own, they are thinking about Jessica.

Gayle is sensible - the peacemaker of the group. She understands why Elly and Jessica are constantly fighting, but she tries to remain neutral. Jen is the flirt. While she doesn't mean anything by it, her flirtation with an unbalanced man and his violent reaction to it lead to the moment of reckoning between Jessica and Elly.

This inaugural production by Those Girls has several weaknesses. Among them are a certain predictability of Rebeck's script, flaccid directing by James Holland, slow pacing, and a general lack of tension on the part of the actors. Sunday on the Rocks is a play with definite highs and lows, but this production tends to take the middle road, flattening out some of the intense moments, and overplaying some of the others.

This is not to say that the show doesn't have its share of strengths as well. There is a certain silly, drunken glee in some of the early scenes that works very well. In addition, both Attal and Bailey have moments where they practically glow with anger at each other, their situations, and their lives in general. In these fleeting moments, especially when they are dealing with the frustrations of not having the lives they want, one can see what this company may be capable of in the future.

Although the production was not all that it could be, it is a decent start for a young company. They are clearly committed to bringing women's voices to the stage. Expect good things from them in the future.

Written by Theresa Rebeck

Directed by James Holland

Lighting Director: Amy Wowak

Artistic Director: Anne Attal

Graphic Design: Jay Clue

Stage Manager: Amy Wowak

House Manager: Emily Vick

Sound Designer: Nafeez Zawahir

Featuring: Marion Attal (Elly), Rebecca Rose McCain (Gayle), Meagan Barno (Jen), Alexsandra Bailey (Jessica)

The Theater at 30th Street

259 W. 30th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)

January 27th-February 8th

Tues.-Sat. at 8 PM, Sat. and Sun. at 2 PM.

Review - A Memory Play (WorkShop Theater Company)

Review by Byrne Harrison
Photo by Gerry Goodstein

On Easter Sunday in 1947, Steve (Artie Ray), a cocky young G.I., married Judy (Susan Izatt) a Southern belle. What followed could best be described as a train wreck of lies, alcoholism, and the psychological damage that comes a dysfunctional family.

Many years later, Kip (Trey Albright), Judy and Steve's playwright son, attempts to undo the damage by writing a memory play about that fateful Easter, but this time, he is determined to keep his parents from marrying. Although he is the playwright and they are merely characters in his play, Judy and Steve are not going to let their past change so easily. As they put up a fight, Kip is forced to jump into the action, playing a range of supporting characters and occasionally taking over Judy and Steve's roles in an effort to keep things on track. While Kip may not end up with the commercial success that he set out to create, he does gain a great deal of insight into his parent's doomed relationship, the sacrifice that all relationships demand, and more importantly, a better sense of how his behavior relates to the lessons he learned from Judy and Steve. Acknowledging that his parents' past does not control his future, he lets go of the resentment and takes control of his life.

Bob Stewart's A Memory Play is an interesting look at relationships, the lies that abound in them, and the collateral damage they do later on. It's also a subtle send up of memory plays and the inelegant way that they are wielded by earnest playwrights who dream of writing the next The Glass Menagerie. Meaning of course Kip, not Mr. Stewart, who has written a funny and poignant piece.

The acting in A Memory Play is uneven, though this seems to be less a matter of the actors' abilities than in the production being underrehearsed. There a hesitancy in certain scenes, as though the actors aren't quite sure whose line is next. That said, much of this could be due to opening night jitters, and if the past WorkShop productions are any guide, has most likely been smoothed out.

Susan Izatt's work as Judy, the prim and proper Southern lady with a remarkably big secret in her past is particularly strong. While it could be easy to reduce the role to a Blanche DuBois knock-off, she gives Judy depth. Albright's work as Kip, the narrator and playwright, is good, though he most easily seems to inhabit the role of Rydell, Judy's flamboyant gay friend. As Rydell is mocked by Steve for being effiminate, Albright shows Rydell's dignity while also showing Kip's hurt. Though he knows his father came to terms with his homosexuality, Kip can't help feeling insulted by Steve's treatment of Rydell. Albright plays this ambivalence well. Artie Ray's character work as Steve is solid, especially in scenes where he goes from being a cocky 20-something G.I. to being the older version of himself dealing with the fallout of the relationship.

Despite some rough patches, A Memory Play is an interesting reimagining of a familiar genre. The first play in a trilogy called The Marriage Variations, it leaves the audience interested in seeing what else Bob Stewart has up his sleeve.

Written by Bob Stewart
Directed by Gary Levinson
Lighting Design: Wanda Ruggiera
Scenic and Sound Design: ArtSink
Production Stage Manager: Dale Smallwood
Coordinating Producer: Scott C. Sickles
Assistant Producers: Lynda Berge and Bob Stewart
Press Representative: Scotti Rhodes Publicity

Featuring: Trey Albright (Kip, Sgt. Cato, Rydell), Susan Izatt (Judy), Artie Ray (Steve)

Main Stage Theater
312 West 36th St.
4th Floor East

Wednesday - Saturday
December 3-20 at 8 PM

Reservations: 212-695-4173 ext. 4#

Review - Glimpses of the Moon (Sharon Carr Associates, Ltd.)

Review by Bryan Clark
Photo by Erica Parise

Glimpses of The Moon is a pleasant musicalization of a 1922 novel by Edith Wharton, better known today for her earlier work The Age of Innocence. This production had an initial run at the Algonquin Oak Room from January to March of this year, and has now returned for a second engagement with new actors in three of the six roles. John Mercurio’s music has a plausible and upbeat jazz-age flavor, though not especially memorable. The book and lyrics by Tajlei Levis are more interesting, and could easily stand alone as a non-musical period piece.

The story is familiar: society girl Susy wants to break free from her dependence on well-heeled patrons and find true love, while writer Nick wants to secure a patron for his artistic endeavors…and find true love. No surprises in this storyline, as the lovers come together out of convenience, fall in love, compromise their principles, fall out of love, prepare to marry within their own circles – but wait! Will true love prevail over money and class? A no-brainer, but the great chemistry between Autumn Hurlbert and Chris Peluso holds the tension to the very end. Hurlbert is particularly strong, in a nuanced performance that invites empathy even when her character’s behavior is not so attractive.

Jane Blass gives a brilliant and effortless turn as Ellie Vanderlyn, Susy’s would-be mentor in the world of high society. She seems born to play this character, and her words flow out as though she wrote the role herself. Glenn Peters has a huge arc to contend with in the duplicitous role of Winthrop Strefford, and he delivers it with precision and vigor. Daren Kelly does fine as Nelson Vanderlyn, a smallish role which mainly rests on his exit scene – which he performs with understated enthusiasm. The only odd note comes from Laura Jordan as Nick’s stalker/other-love-interest Coral, a role which does suggest a certain degree of eccentricity but reaches out of the period style in this interpretation. (Jordan doubles as the superfluous character Ursula, a character that is used in the opening scene to introduce Nick and then never appears again.)

Surprisingly, the least successful aspect of this production is its placement in the Oak Room. The sprawling story takes us from brownstones to fishing lodges to fur boutiques, but the production is firmly stuck in the Oak Room. Although Marc Bruni’s direction and James Milkey’s lighting work wonders in the cramped quarters, the fact remains that this piece is a play, not a cabaret act, and belongs on a stage. (The brief scene in The Oak Room itself, with a walk-on appearance by a rotating guest star, is awkward and incongruous.) The audience members who were seated within inches of the action were by turns excited and uncomfortable, but in either case they were highly visible and needlessly distracting. Above all, the Oak Room doesn’t hold up so well under theatrical lighting. Never noticed that cheesy Motel 6 carpeting? Now you have. But this ill-advised venue does not diminish the value of this otherwise well-conceived new musical. As was noted in the reviews of the earlier run, Glimpses of the Moon is well-suited for summer stock and small regional theatres, and it should have a healthy future life.


Based on the novel by Edith Wharton
Book & lyrics by Tajlei Levis
Music by John Mercurio
Directed by Marc Bruni
Choreographed by Denis Jones
Music Direction by Rick Hip-Flores

Producer: Sharon Carr
Lighting Design: James Milkey
Costume Design: Lisa Zinni
Scenic Consultant: Ted LeFevre
General Manager: Brierpatch Productions / Laura Janik Cronin & Scott Newsome
Production Stage Manager: Carlos Maisonet
Press Representative: Katie Rosin/Kampfire Films PR

Featuring: Autumn Hurlbert (Susy), Chris Peluso (Nick), Jane Blass (Ellie), Laura Jordan (Ursula/Coral), Daren Kelly (Nelson) and Glenn Peters (Winthrop “Streffy”)
Understudies: Russell Arden Koplin and Matt Lutz
Reed player at performance reviewed: Dave Nolan
Guest star at performance reviewed: Lisa Asher

Oak Room
Algonquin Hotel
59 West 44th Street

For reservations call 866-468-7619 or visit ticketweb.com.

Mondays at 8PM
(doors at 6PM; dinner service to 7:30PM)

Open run.

Review - Moonlight & Love Songs (WorkShop Theater Company)

Review by Byrne Harrison
Photo by Gerry Goodstein

Love is a hard thing, even at the best of times. But when Harry (Jeff Woodman), an architect with a history of bad relationships, meets Jim (Ryan Tresser), a much younger man with a shared love of classic movies, it seems that his luck could be changing. But a fairy tale ending is not to be in Scott C. Sickles's latest play, Moonlight & Love Songs, being presented by the WorkShop Theater Company.

Jim, who claims to be a college student at a local university, is actually much younger than he appears. Harry, driven perhaps by his own innocence or merely not wanting to see the truth, ignores the clues about Jim's age. When Jim's father, The Reverend Bennett (David M. Mead), figures out what his son has been doing, he contacts the police, sending Harry's life into a spiral. He is arrested and loses both his job and the respect of his family.

Jim, forced by his sick mother not only to examine his relationship with Harry, but his own father's infidelities, must figure out if he is willing to sacrifice everything to help Harry.

Sickles's play is well-written, and because of his main characters' shared love of movies, references several classic Hollywood love stories in charming and inventive ways. Framing it in classic movie references, and by telling the main story as an extended flashback, he is able to show that no matter how terrible things get after the revelations about Jim's age, everyone makes it out more or less okay. Director David Gautschy allows the characters to set the pace of the play; Harry's scenes moving with a sort of fussy deliberateness that seems to suit his character, and Jim's with a sense of reckless energy. In addition, he makes good use of the entire Main Stage Theater space and Duane Pagano's versatile set and lighting.

While the cast is particularly good, Woodman does an exceptional job as Harry, especially in his scenes of wide-eyed yet dubious wonder when a beautiful younger man expresses interest in him, and his later scenes of stoic resignation with a healthy dose of gallows humor. Tresser as Jim effortlessly plays the mercurial tendencies of teenagers - impulsive, confused, and living each emotion with a terrifying intensity, as though it were the first time any human had ever felt it. Tresser, however, looks even older than the 20 year old college student that Jim pretends to be, but it's a minor inconsistency that is quickly overlooked.

Also outstanding are Jeff Paul, as Ben Stafford, Harry's best friend, boss and brother-in-law, and Nicole Taylor as Harry's sister Diane. As the one person who stands by Harry throughout the scandal, Paul plays Ben as a truly stand up guy, with a touch of frat boy humor, but an unflagging loyalty, and Taylor's take on Diane shows a great deal of range and mines all the humor in the role.

Sickles takes a potentially controversial topic and crafts a beautiful story of a doomed romance. Like the old movies it references, Casablanca chief among them, Moonlight & Love Songs shows that love often demands sacrifice to become transcendent.


Written by Scott C. Sickles
Directed by David Gautschy
Lighting and Scenic Design - Duane Pagano
Sound Design - David Schulder
Assistant Director - Chaya Muldavin
Production Stage Manager - Michael Palmer
Assistant Stage Manager - Samantha Mercado
Coordinating Producer - Mitchell Sawyer
Press Representative - Scotti Rhodes Publicity
Promotional Art/Logo - Todd Alan Johnson

Featuring: Ryan Tresser (Jim Bennett), Jeff Woodman (Harry Wallace), Jeff Paul (Ben Stafford), David Palmer Brown (Box Office People, et al), Nicole Taylor (Diane Wallace-Stafford), David M. Mead (The Reverend), Anne Fizzard (Eileen Bennett)


Main Stage Theater
312 W. 36th St.
4th Floor East

For reservations call 212-695-4173 x5#

Wed.-Sat. 8PM
Matinees on Sat. at 3 PM

Through November 22

Fundraiser - Into the Underworld (Maieutic Theatre Works)

ONE-NIGHT ONLY BENEFIT ENGAGEMENT
November 10, 2008 AT THE TRIAD NYC

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT THEATERMANIA.COM

MAIEUTIC THEATRE WORKS (MTWorks) is pleased to announce their one-night only benefit event, INTO THE UNDERWORLD: A Broadway Understudy Tell All…With Music, once again under the musical direction of Matt Doebler (Wicked), hosted by Katie Adams & Julie Reiber of Wicked. INTO THE UNDERWORLD will take place on Monday, November 10th (9:30pm) at The Triad NYC (158 West 72nd Street).

Into The Underworld will included performances by:

-KATIE ADAMS (Wicked)
-JUSTIN BRILL (Rent, All Shook Up)
-TONY CHIROLDES (In The Heights)
-JEFF EDGERTON (Grease, Parade)
-MICHELLE LOOKADOO (The Little Mermaid)
- KIMBERLY DAWN NEUMANN (A Chorus Line)
-KATE PAZAKIS (Jerry Sprnger The Opera)
-JULIE REIBER (Wicked)
-DAVID SPANGENTHAL (Beauty & The Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie)
-SHAUN TAYLOR-CORBETT (In The Heights);

...as they share their most intimate stories on how they made it to the Broadway stage.

The proceeds from this event will go to funding MTWorks Season 08-09, including The 2009 National NewBorn Festival in January 2009, and the production of Jacqueline Goldfinger’s The Oath in April 2009 at The Arclight Theater.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

TICKET PRICES:
General Admission: Advance Purchase $40.00 (+2 drink minimum, cash bar)
Day of the Event $45.00 (+2 drink minimum, cash bar)

*VIP Tickets: 65.00 (+2 drink minimum, cash bar).

Tickets are now available online at http://www.theatermania.com/ or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at The Triad NYC half hour prior to Showtime, cash only.

*VIP Tickets include preferential reserved seating, Broadway Memorabilia, Bottle of Fine Wine, Tickets to The Oath and VIP Gift Bag.

Complimentary Hors D’Oeuvres will be served at the event; there will be an auction, including tickets to Wicked, Altar Boyz and My First Time, Broadway Memorabilia and more.

For more information visit http://www.mtworks.org/. You can also visit http://www.triadnyc.com/ for driving/subway information.

Fundraiser - Scavenger Hunt for Red Door Theatre

The Scavenger Hunt is coming!(THIS WEEKEND!!!)

First Annual RDT Scavenger Hunt will be held on Saturday, November 8th beginning at 1pm. (Registration begins at 12:30pm)

Start getting your team together (2-4 people per team).

Don't have a team? That's ok, we'll pair you up when you get there.

$10/per person, or $35 for a pre-registered team of four.

(You will also need a digital camera, phones are fine, and an unlimited metro card)

Win Theatre tickets, Free Seminars at The Network and other great prizes!

RSVP at kateerin@thereddoortheatre.com

(You must email us to "Pre-register" for the 4-person discount!)

Please put "Scavenger Hunt" in the subject line

Details:Saturday, November 8, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: World Wide Plaza
Street: Between 49th and 50th, and 8th and 9th
City/Town: New York, NY

Special thanks to: Richard Frankel Productions, The Network, & Design Napier

Please visit http://www.thereddoortheatre.com/ for all the Official Rules and Details

Review - The Pumpkin Pie Show (Horse Trade Theater Group)

Review by Byrne Harrison

Photos by Cedar

Every once in a while I find out about a show that I never knew existed, but has been around for years. Once upon a time, it was Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. This time it is The Pumpkin Pie Show. Returning to New York for its tenth anniversary, The Pumpkin Pie Show makes me wish I'd known about it ten years ago.

The Pumpkin Pie Show is an evening of story telling. The latest incarnation features Clay McLeod Chapman and Hanna Cheek, two enthralling actors with a gift for telling a compelling story. The actors have prepared fourteen stories, all written by Chapman, any six of which will be performed in an evening. While this does make for a new and exciting show every night, it also makes it hard to review. Based on the six stories performed the night I saw it, and of course the fact that it is Halloween, the common theme of this version seems to be horror. This falls into roughly three categories: visceral, as in Chapman's look inside the mind of a returning veteran in Grand Marshal and Cheek's tale of a murder revealed in Bridesmaid; sly and humorous, Cheek's Overbite, about a woman with jaws of steel and the problems that can cause, or the absolute winner of the evening, Late Bloomer, a Lovecraftian look at sex ed; and emotional, as in Cheek's story of a young nurse dealing with the loss of war in The Suitor's Ward, or Chapman's look at the silver lining of Alzheimer's in Oldsmobile.

While Late Bloomer is my favorite of Chapman's stories, mostly because it allows him to delve into a breathlessly over-the-top prose, my overall favorite was the lovely and heart-breaking The Suitor's Ward. Anyone not moved by this tale of a nurse and the gentle way she provides comfort to mortally wounded soldiers must have a heart of stone.

The Pumpkin Pie Show has now closed, but when it returns, do yourself a favor and buy tickets early. The show routinely sells out, and next time, I'm bringing all my friends.

Stories written by Clay McLeod Chapman
Performances by Clay McLeod Chapman and Hanna Cheek

UNDER St. Marks
94 St. Marks Place

Closed 11/1

Review - Something Weird . . . In the Red Room (Rachel Klein Productions)

Review by Byrne Harrison
Photos by Lisa Soverino

Something Weird . . . In The Red Room certainly lives up to its name. It is in the Red Room and it is most definitely weird. This evening featuring two short plays directed and choreographed by Rachel Klein has a fun and freaky vibe, and though somewhat confusing, is a good time.

The first play of the evening, Sir Sheever by Benjamin Spiro, is a quirky play about a hapless burglar, Ralph (Bret Haines), who wanders into a creepy dollhouse of a mansion run by Miss Elise (Kari Warchock), a Baby Jane type, and populated with a group of life-sized dolls. Incorporated into her fantasy role-playing, Ralph, now dubbed Sir Sheever, discovers that the dolls are more than they appear, and this knowledge may spell the end of Ralph and Miss Elise.

Klein's direction is strong, though her forte appears to be more geared toward the choreography (which is outstanding) and the creation of fascinating stage pictures, and less toward the pacing and dialogue. While the actors playing humans are good, the ones playing dolls are outstanding. Special praise goes to Megan O'Connor, as a haughty talking doll, complete with pull-string, named Miss Prissypants, and Ted Caine, as the hypersexual Fredrick doll.

Aenigma by Sean Gill, the second play of the evening is . . . well, enigmatic. This strange tale about Diana (Jillaine Gill) and Charlotte (Elizabeth Stewart), two sisters who are trying to find backers for their children's show, quickly changes into a psychosexual thriller about blackmail, murder, magic, and the universe that exists just beyond our realm of consciousness.

While Klein once again demonstrates her skill with choreography and movement, Aenigma better highlights her skills as a director. Using flashbacks, slow motion, and other decidedly non-realistic techniques, Klein makes up for the main weakness of the show, the necessity of explaining the backstory of Diana and Charlotte, by making the show fascinating to watch.

Outstanding performances are given by both Gill and Stewart, as well as Rob Richardson, as the emotionally blank blackmailer, Mr. Green. Bret Jaspers, who portrays Tad, a strange antagonist to Gill's Diana, does a good job, though Tad is at his off-kilter best when Jaspers and Gill are interacting.

For an Off-Off Broadway show with, I imagine, a small budget, the technical aspects of the show are excellent. Lighting designer Lisa Soverino does an outstanding job using light, shadow, and color to highlight the more surreal moments of both plays. Makeup designer Anita Rundles and costume designers Emily Dorwart and Rachel Klein create marvelous ensembles, especially for the dolls in Sir Sheever.

Something Weird . . . In The Red Room is fascinating evening of theatre. You might come out of it scratching your head, but even so, you will come out of it entertained.


Written by Benjamin Spiro (Sir Sheever) and Sean Gill (Aenigma)
Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Klein
Lighting Designer: Lisa Soverino
Makeup Designer: Anita Rundles
Costume Designer: Emily Dorwart and Rachel Klein
Costume Consultant: Emily Taradash
Sound Designer: Rachel Klein and Sean Gill
Sound Engineer: Benjamin Spiro and Sean Gill
Original Music Composer: Sean Gill and John Gill
Photographer: Lisa Soverino
Graphic Designer: Anthony Patryn
Press Representative: Emily Owens PR
Stage Managers: Lizz Giorgos and Marina Steinberg
Producer: Rachel Klein
Associate Producers: Benjamin Spiro and Sean Gill


Featuring (Sir Sheever): Candy Bloise (Euripides), Ted Caine (Fredrick), Bret Haines (Ralph), Abigail Hawk (Eunice), Megan O'Connor (Miss Prissypants), Michael Porsche (Robert), Kari Warchock (Miss Elise)

Featuring (Aenigma): Jillaine Gill (Diana), Bret Jaspers (Tad), Dasha Kittredge (Body Rock Crew), Christopher Loar (Body Rock Crew), Rob Richardson (Mr. Green), Claire A. Sansaricq (Body Rock Crew), Elizabeth Stewart (Charlotte)


The Red Room
85 E. 4th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Ave.

Closed 10/31

The Blood Brothers Present . . . The Master of Horror (The Blood Brothers and Nosedive Productions)

Review by Byrne Harrison
Photos by Aaron Epstein

After a year spent dreaming up fresh horrors for Gotham's citizens, the Blood Brothers are back. And this time, they've brought along a famous friend.

Nosedive Productions has been given the rights to stage four plays based on the Stephen King short stories Nona, Quitters, Inc., In The Deathroom, and his poem, Paranoid: A Chant. Serving as a frame for the plays is James Comtois' The Last Waltz. This piece, based on a chapter of King's nonfiction work, Danse Macabre, covers the mayhem and murder that has been blamed on King's work and features the delightfully homicidal Family Blood (Pete Boisvert and Patrick Shearer as the titular Blood Brothers, Rebecca Comtois as Sister Blood) acting out the various immolations, impalements, and murders with bloodthirsty glee. Just hearing Boisvert hiss "They're all going to laugh at you" to a woman who had been impaled with kitchenware (à la Carrie's mother) was enough to make this one of my favorite parts of the show.


The first King show of the evening is Nona, a play about obsession and the lengths a man will go to for his dream woman, real or not. Loverboy (Jeremy Goren) is not much of a man until he meets the sultry and desperate Nona (Jessi Gotta). Where she leads, he follows even if it means murder and madness. The play, ably adapted by James Comtois, features some nice special effects, a healthy dose of blood, and some excellent fight choreography by Qui Nguyen, who does his usual bang up job. Well paced by director Shearer, it nonetheless lacks a certain amount of suspense. As with any play, props must be changed, sets moved, and "dead" actors must leave the stage. Shearer does what he can to keep the audience in the moment so the suspense can build, but the interruptions take their toll.

The second play, Quitters, Inc., adapted by Qui Nguyen, attempts to add a note of humor to the evening. This tale of Richard (Michael Criscuolo), who wants to give up smoking, and Vic Donatti (Marc Landers), who is willing to do absolutely anything to absolutely anybody to ensure Richard's success, is somewhat overwritten by Nguyen and seems somewhat under-rehearsed. This combination makes the play drag. That said, Nguyen proves adept at using flashback - the play begins with the reunion of the man and his wife (Marsha Martinez) and jumps back in time as he explains what led up to it - and Boisvert proves adept at directing it, making Martinez a witness to the scenes as Landers and Criscuolo act them out, while reacting as though she's being told a story by Criscuolo. All in all, a nice effect, and a good way to adapt the story for stage.

The next play, Paranoid: A Chant, is a monologue which will be familiar to anyone who has sat near an unbalanced person on the subway. The Paranoiac (Jessi Gotta) is being watched - and studied - and recorded - but she's one step ahead of them. She knows their tricks. Played with outstanding intensity by Gotta, who manages to make the the audience feel her stifling paranoia and makes them feel claustrophobic in the creeping darkness, and directed with a manic intensity by Boisvert, this is the highlight of the evening.

The final piece, Mac Rogers' In the Deathroom, is the best in terms of a story that translates well to the stage. Following Fletcher (Ben Trawick-Smith), a NY Times reporter who is being tortured by the sadistic Heinz (Christian Toth) under the orders of Pilar (Marsha Martinez) and Escobar (Jeremy Goren), a couple of petty dictators in an unnamed Latin American country, this tale of love and revenge is a tight, well-written, well-directed (Boisvert again), and well-acted play. Of particular note is Toth, whose Heinz is an evil maniac, but one who is slave to his passions. In the Deathroom also features a wonderfully gruesome special effect that occurs during an electrocution.

Although the adaptations vary in their degrees of success, overall The Blood Brothers Present . . . The Master of Horrors delivers what it promises - humor, fear, and a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your point of view) dose of gore. And when was the last time you saw a group of actors who could be so good at being so evil?


Written by James Comtois, Qui Nguyen and Mac Rogers
Adapted from the short stories of Stephen King
Directed by Pete Boisvert and Patrick Shearer
Stage Managers: Stephanie Cox-Williams and Ben VandenBoom
Fight Choreographer: Qui Nguyen
Lighting Designer: Leslie Hughes
Sound Designer: Patrick Shearer
Special Effects Coordinator: Stephanie Cox-Williams
Original Music: Larry Lees
Press Agent: James Comtois
Producers: Pete Boisvert, James Comtois, Rebecca Comtois, Stephanie Cox-Williams, Marc Landers, Ben VandenBoom, and Patrick Shearer
Associate Producer: Jessi Gotta

Featuring: Rebecca Comtois (Sister Blood), Michael Criscuolo (Morrison/Ramon/Trucker #2), Jeremy Goren (Loverboy, Escobar), Jessi Gotta (Nona, the Paranoiac), Marc Landers (Cook/Blanchette/Donatti), Marsha Martinez (Cindy, Pilar), Ben Trawick-Smith (Ace Merrill/Good Samaritan/Fletcher), Christian Toth (Trucker #1, Cop, Jimmy McCann/Heinz)

Endtimes Underground
at the Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street (between Bowery & Lafayette)

October 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 30-31, and November 1, 2008
7:30 PM

Announcement - Plucking Failures Like Ripe Fruit (Horse Trade Theater Group/No Tea Productions)

HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP

PRESENTS A

NO TEA PRODUCTIONS

PRODUCTION OF

PLUCKING FAILURES LIKE RIPE FRUIT

(A Night of One-Act Romantic Tragedies)

Directed by Lindsey Moore

NOVEMBER 20-DECEMBER 6

PLUCKING FAILURES LIKE RIPE FRUIT is a collection of small works by big playwrights, all of which are about people trying, and failing, at love. Before each show, the audience will draw our performance order from a collection of more than 10 short plays, so every night is guaranteed to be a different show! Plays include Sure Thing by David Ives, 1-900-Desperate by Christopher Durang, Here We Are by Dorothy Parker, Request Stop by Harold Pinter, Cold by David Mamet, Miss You by David Auburn, Please Have a Seat And Someone Will Be With You Shortly by Garth Wingfield, Anything For You by Cathy Celesia, A Day For Surprises by John Guare, Breaking Even by Dan Dietz and, 4 a.m. (Open All Night) by Bob Krakower,

PLUCKING FAILURES LIKE RIPE FRUIT features Alicia Barnatchez, Brooke Eddey, Sabrina Farhi, Richard Lovejoy, Jeremy Mather, and Jeff Sproul.

The production, produced by Horse Trade Theater Group and No Tea Productions, will play at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place) November 20-December 6, Thursday through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday, November 30 at 2pm (no show on November 27). Tickets ($15, $12 students/seniors) are available by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.horseTRADE.info

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For the last year and a half, No Tea Productions has been staging off-off-Broadway shows, mostly brand new works by young playwrights in New York. With each show, we strive to be funny and entertaining, but also to always present a larger truth.

"A company to look out for … this young production company kicks out a tremendous show with an equally powerful ensemble." - Richard Hinojosa, NYtheatre.com

"...A reason for hope for American theatre." - Ethan Stanislawski, BlogCritics Magazine

Horse Trade is a self-sustaining theater development group; with a focus on new work, it has produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. Horse Trade’s Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent Theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. It is also the home of FRIGID New York – the first and only festival of its kind in New York City.

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www.NoTeaProductions.com

News - 3LD Art & Technology Center Receives Grants

New York, NY— The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded 3LD $400,000. The Mellon grant supports all artistic and organizational initiatives at 3LD from 3-Legged Dog's own artistic production, to 3LD's Resident programming, Professional Development Resources and Program Analysis. Mellon has attached a two-to-one match requirement to $200,000 of this grant as a challenge to other 3LD supporters to make their own commitment to 3LD's facility and the continuation of artistic activity in Lower Manhattan that keeps New York City a vital cornerstone of artistic experimentation and cutting-edge creativity.

In addition 3LD has just been awarded $200,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation's New York City Cultural Innovation Fund, a fund which helps improve quality of life throughout the city by recognizing and supporting new opportunities in the creative sector. This highly competitive two-year grant, for 3LD's Cooperative Professional Resources program, will bolster several 3LD projects for large-scale theater and media artists:

- The Cooperative Studio Licensing Program, which develops the new art work of seven to nine arts groups annually.

- Professional Development technology and other training sessions, both private and public.

- Artist Working Groups, which bring artists together to tackle pressing problems affecting the New York City creative community.

- The expansion of 3LD's International Consortium, which creates long-term global partnerships for experimental art production.

3-Legged Dog was founded in 1994 by a group of artists working at the Ontological-Hysteric Theater and has become one of the leading experimental arts groups in New York. Its mission is to produce new, original works in theater, performance, media and hybrid forms. Working out of a strong literary tradition, they explore the new narrative possibilities created by digital technology, and provide an environment for their artists to create new tools and modes of expression so that they can excel across a range of disciplines. The company's award-winning work has been shown in New York and Europe. For more information visit http://www.3leggeddog.org/

In 2006, the company inaugurated the 3LD Art & Technology Center at 80 Greenwich Street south of the World Trade Center site. 3LD Art & Technology Center is an artist-run production studio with one goal, to create a culture of risk taking, experimentation, independence and ambition with a cooperative international community of artists centered in New York. 3LD's facility and programs offer an arena in which residents simultaneously increase knowledge, streamline production processes and realize their creative visions. 3LD's resident programs are designed to create a stable, savvy, self-sufficient experimental arts community with access to resources and professional development that leads to better quality work, high production values, and new ways of engaging the public, here and abroad. With 3LD's resources and the time to really dig into their work, residents have the opportunity to test the limits of their materials and expand their artistic imaginations. Over the last two years, the company has supported the work of nearly 1000 artists including Laurie Anderson, Charles Mee, New Georges, Hourglass Group, HERE, The TEAM, Troika Ranch, Trick Saddle, Ripe Time, Reid Farrington, and many others. For more information visit: http://www.3ldnyc.org/

Announcement - Revealed (Horse Trade Theater Group/GiGi La Femme & Doc Wasabassco)

Horse Trade Theater Group presents
a GiGi La Femme & Doc Wasabassco Production:

REVEALED
More burlesque than you’ve ever seen before!

***

Wednesday, November 19, 10:00pm $20
Under St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Place, New York, NY

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REVEALED . . . Brought to you by the Power Couple of Burlesque (GiGi La Femme and Doc Wasabassco) Revealed is a cutting-edge burlesque show with a sinfully dirty twist. This unique and extra-sultry night features the sexiest, most notorious burlesque performers in New York City, as you’ve never seen them before! Revealed promises you more bang for your buck than any other show in town.

Featuring tantalizing performances by Amber Ray, GiGi La Femme, Kobayashi Maru, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Peekaboo Pointe and Gal Friday with your charming and inebriated host, Bastard Keith!

What surprises will the girls have in store for us this month? Sushi eating? Pillow fights? Come find out and experience an evening of salacious striptease and skin, where the climax of each number leaves everything…Revealed.

"Worth considerably more than the paltry $20 admission fee it demands, the neo-burlesque show Revealed offers up a substantial helping of coquetry, comedy and camp, along with other, pinker, softer words beginning with the letter C." –New York Press

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Revealed Burlesque
UNDER St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Place

The third Wednesday of every month, at 10:00 PM

Admission is $20. Tickets are available online at http://www.horsetrade.info/ or by calling 212-868-4444

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www.MySpace.com/RevealedBurlesque