I’ll post this and continue updating as the week goes on.
Nancy by Richard Velasquez is a confident, charming, a rough production. This is apparently the first performance of his show, and I hope it will develop further. Richard Velasquez brings his genuine self to the stage, raw and vulnerable, but it became fragmented as he is constantly referring to the script. A work in progress. He goes through major life stages and shows how his sister was a role model all along, but my one-line summary doesn’t do it justice. Perhaps I’m being too hard on that, after all, the poster did claim it is a staged reading.. He did a good job painting imagery with his words, becoming other family members, and giving life to his memories. As he was reading along, I felt as though each line had the same rhythm and I had trouble keeping track of what age we were at. I wonder, too, if the performance is meant to be straight spoken word, towards the audience. Very touching tribute at the end. Richard’s vulnerability will make you shed tears.
Interesting, gripping, and unflinching. Aditya Putcha combines many different themes into La Mano del Mono, based on the tale of The Monkey’s Paw, a classic 1902 short horror story written by W.W Jacobs; themes that include interracial marriage, child abuse, magic, bureaucracy, grief, and more. It captures that familiar feeling of watching a horror film where you want to shout at the characters, “No! Don’t do that!” It leans into discomfort, pulling the audience in. In true horror fashion, this show will get you uncomfortable and want you reaching out grabbing these characters by the shoulders. The dialogue worked for a small, intimate space like The Stephanie Feury Theater, turning the audience into flies on the wall in an abusive household, but at times the energy became awkward. If the show were longer, we might have a chance for more understanding of this world. The piece is ambitious, weaving in multiple storylines and character backgrounds into a tight 30-minute runtime, giving the play a fast-pace and heightened energy. The melodrama and exaggerated characters fits in with the style of the production, a bold visceral interpretation that isn’t afraid to push boundaries.
Counting The Hours by Camilo Gonzalez was a short, intense piece exploring a soldiers return from the horrors of war, I think. No, it is of “A military colonel about to be promoted to a minister and emporer of a kingdom.” A portrait of PTSD is what I imagine it is about. The monologue was lengthy and showed his wrestling between power and humanity. The character raged at the death of humanity as machines have become of central in the eyes of war, causing destruction around us. The character was sweating, adding to the sense of emotional exposure. Anyway, not a line that stuck with me. At the end a video homage projected on stage with clips of war and of Michael Jackson. “Choose people, not machines” was the message.
A lot of work went into Being The Perfect Woman by Diaz, was my first thought, as we walked into the stage seeing a full clothing rack, a table with a record player, couch, poster board, and a live projection; and not a moment was wasted. The show is written in a way that allows us to experience the discomfort of having to be “The Perfect Woman” with Ashley as they try different ‘normalities’ of how society views female. This show was captivating, transformational; what first feels like an influencer get ready with me shortly becomes the raw exploration of identity and self-understanding. A gut wrenching show of depth, one that evolves as the show progresses. No more spoilers, this is a MUST SEE SHOW. Highly recommended, personal and universal. “Wow,” people muttered, as they got up after the show and their reactions rippled the space, “Double Wow.” We were all chilled to the spine.
A strong one-person piece, The Queen of Reading Gaol offers a brilliant tribute to Salome and other literary characters created by Oscar Wilde. Laura Marlowe is on stage performing with an energetic flow, keeping audiences interested on the subjects. There was a good audience that followed along.
In between shows, I wondered if I’m a bully. I mean, I could write someone a rave review but if I include one harsh thing then they may discount the positives (Cognitive Distortions, see CBT). Words have power. Sorry ya’ll, I don’t mean to be mean.
Open-Door Playhouse brings down the house once again, with (Un)Drinkable and Will’s Dramaturg. Undrinkable is historic, dark, powerful, emotional. A historic play that is both chilling and thought provoking. It follows multiple storylines within the water crisis in Flint, Michigan over the recent years. We see how media tried to hide the severity until it goes out of control, spreading to different zip codes; how contaminated water is affecting children and people trying to make a living. Great performances with strong writing and direction. Moving on to Will’s Dramaturg a laugh out loud piece looking at “What if William Shakespeare had a New York-type publicist/agent/manager. Funny show which combined different time periods. Good performances but I could tell it was partly a staged reading.
Stage Takes 