Emerging Artists Theatre is presenting their Spring EATfest
2007, a festival of 18 short plays. The
plays are broken down into three sets of six (upped from the Spring EATfest's 9
plays). I caught Series A (and I'll be
reviewing Series B later this week).
Series A includes: The List by Kristyn Leigh Robinson,
directed by Molly Marinik, Water and Discarded Hair by Jessamyn Fiore, directed
by Kel Haney, National Treasure by Jon Spano, directed by Derek Jamison, Tom
Cruise, Get Off the Couch by Kevin Brofsky, directed by Aimee Howard, Emily
Breathes by Matt Casarino, directed by Ryan Hilliard, and Astray by Corey
Rieger, directed by Robert Cambeiro.
The List begins as a tired sketch we've seen a million
times: Jenny, a neglected wife (Maya Rosewood) is trying to talk to her husband
Max (Scott Katzman), who's too engrossed in watching his football game on TV to
listen. Fortunately, the sketch is developed
into a more interesting character study, when Jenny reveals that she has a date
with a celebrity that is on her "freebie" list. Some fine acting work,
especially from Rosewood, brings the characters to life, though I was a little
confused that there was no television noise.
Water and Discarded Hair is an interesting play that begins
with a woman (Tracee Chimo) cutting a man's (William Connell) hair. The play is largely expositional, as they
awkwardly remind each other how they got to this point. He's apparently a married celebrity of some
kind, and they carried on an affair- they're both still in love and now that
he's left his wife, he wants to begin again with her and all she represents. It's a strangely ritualistic piece, but Chimo
and Connell invest their characters with just the right pathos and wonder, respectively. I understand that it might have been difficult to stage, but I was surprised that there was no actual discarded hair onstage, especially since it was in the title (there was water).
National Treasure concerns two strangers who meet in a
Broadway theater for a memorial for great stage actress Lydia North. Melissa (a funny Valerie David) is excited and
wants to chat, while Barry (the deadpan Marc Garber) isn't feeling so well and
wants her to shut up. This odd couple is
united in their powerful attachment for the late Ms. North, and as they share
their memories of the actress, they come to understand each other a bit
better. It's a fascinating and moving
play, which ends somewhat inconclusively, but has a lot going for it. Garber and David are perfection in their
roles.
Tom Cruise, Get Off the Couch was, for me, the highlight of
the series. Charlie (Joe MacDougall), a Tom Cruise fanatic, brings back to his
apartment Tim (Kaolin Bass), a man he met at a bar, for some sex. Charlie's plans are foiled by his large dog
Tom Cruise (Jason O'Connell), who insists on inserting himself between the
action. Tom Cruise speaks his canine
thoughts aloud, though he's not understood by anyone onstage. An excellently funny piece- Kevin Brofsky
(whose work I have enjoyed before) rises to new heights of whimsicality. Tom Cruise trivia abounds. MacDougall is hilarious bordering on creepy
as the celeb-obsessed Charlie and Bass is amusingly put-upon as the "straight
man", but it's O'Connell who steals the show with his outrageous doggy charm.
Emily Breathes is a more sober piece, about a young Gay man
who comes to talk to a priest. The play
defies expectations (thank god) by
not being about pederasty. Hunter Gilmore does strong work as Bruce, as
does Greg Homison as Father Zach.
Astray is a cute piece about a crazy woman. A strange woman (Geany Masai) has wandered into
the apartment of Jack (Ron Bobst), and taken over, calling him Keith, and
insisting that he call her Mom. Things
are partially cleared up when neighbor Doug (William Reinking) comes by and
identifies "Mom" …or does he? It's an
amusing sketch, but doesn't quite reach the farce it seems to be trying
for. The three actors all do a fine job.
2007 Fall EATfest
The Grand Theatre (Producer¹s Club, 358 W 44th St, 3rd floor). Performances
begin Tuesday, October 16th, 2007 and continue through Sunday November 4th,
2007.
