Go into The Mysterious Mystery of Mystery Street at the Kraine Theatre expecting a hard boiled detective story full of tersely delivered dialogue, dames and dicks and that’s what you’ll get, in a manner of speaking. It’s your typical setup: two hard talking detectives (Sergio Lodolce and Adam Brome) are behind a desk in some seedy joint down town when a hapless dame (Maggie McGuire) walks in. She’s leggy, lovely and looking for her brother; a few tears, a little exposition, some wisecracks and the dicks are soon hoofing it all over town on a random chase that leads them down the path of innuendo, wisecracks, double entendres and mistaken meaning, all culminating with a big shootout in a warehouse. Sounds like all the elements are there for the perfect noir send-up, yes? Well, yes. And . . . no.
F*#king Girls featuring Ben Thompson & Carolyn Gilliam (Photo by Andrew Bisdale)
The Bromance has come into its own and is now permeating black box theatre – behold F*#cking Girls the new Bromantic Comedy brought to you by Ben Thompson and Bro. I mean, and Co. Well, both really. Written by Thompson and directed by Paul Leopold this short, sweet, easy-to-digest play doesn’t cover new ground, but it sure does repave the familiar road admirably.
Set up like every typical comedy of its type F*#cking Girls is comprised of one good guy and one bad guy – or rather one faithful (borderline emotionally pathetic) guy and one cool (that would mean promiscuous) dude. James (Jon Bass) hails from Column A; as the lights come up we find James drowning his sorrows over the demise of his long-term relationship. Quick to step in is his best Bro Mike (Brendan McCarthy) who offers up a simple plan full of the hi-jinks that make for a laugh-packed short play: James needs to sleep his way through all the ex girlfriends who didn’t give it up to him the first time around.
We’re already planning ahead for after-FRIGID and what better way to face the non-festival lull than with a good ole Duncan Pflaster nekkid play? That’s right- you heard right. But why should I blather on when I’ve got the playwright of Six Silences In Three Movements right here?
What’s it all about, Duncan? (I’m humming, are you?)
Well, the story is about a straight couple and a gay couple who are best friends, but the straight guy is having a clandestine affair with one of the gay guys (unbeknownst to their partners).
It’s a long one-act piece which is experimental in form- each scene is broken up into three “movements”, analogous to those in music. There is a poem in a traditional form, then a scene where lovers talk but nothing of importance is said, then a section where, nude, the performers spout non-sequiturs at each other. It’s inspired in part by an Edward Gorey piece called L’Heure Bleu, and has to do with communication, how even when we’re as intimate as we can be with someone, we still might be holding something back.
FABULOUS! I love Edward Gorey and I love that concept. I completely agree – we’re always holding something back.
Your show contains nudity AND poetry. What’s more controversial?
Though the poetry is unusual these days (all of it is in antiquated classical forms: a Villanelle, a Triolet, a Wyleian Sonnet, a Rondeau Redouble), I think it’s probably still the nudity. There’s a whole lot of it in this piece, and the theatre space is quite small, so the audience will be getting up close and personal views of the performers. The show is part of Manhattan Rep’s WinterFest 2011, and it’s usually in their Festival Contract that they don’t allow nudity, but they’re making an exception for this piece because they liked my play so much.
Wow, you made someone break a contract, Mr. Pflaster! Color me impressed. And a little tingly.
Give me six unrelated words that describe your show.
Natural, Love, Silence, Perfection, Desire, Penguin.
Well, I’ve nothing to add there! Always a pleasure, Duncan Pflaster, writer of Six Silences In Three Movements. Roll tape!
Only 3 Performances -
March 19th @ 9PM
March 20th @ 6PM
March 24th @ 9PM
JapJAP written and performed by Una Aya Osato (photo by Ari Issler)
When we first meet JapJAP (Una Aya Osato) she’s a green blob projected onto a screen – rolling around joyfully and joyously. Cleverly, her projected image rolls from the screen in two dimensional form onto the stage in glorious 3-D. This is a device that Osato will continue to use throughout the performance, and it serves her well; enabling her to be multi-dimensional as well as keep her characters separate.
On the stage JapJAP is a lovable creature – childlike, unblemished, a sweet creation of unknown origin who says nothing but “JapJAP”, not unlike a Pokemon says its own name over and over. Clumsily, dizzily, happily dancing about in an effervescent homage to the unrestrained happiness that is an existence free of names, labels, classifications, designations and even further breakdowns, JapJAP appears to be content as is. Soon enough, however, she is corralled by the Left and the Right – played by Osato’s Left Hand and her Right Hand – clad in Blue and Red satin gloves respectively (and appropriately).
By now we’ve all heard the tale of how that little statue came to be known as “Oscar” (“He looks just like my uncle Oscar!”) and whether it’s true or not it’s just yet another testament to the fact that we love to make comparisons.
Today, in honor of the 83rd Academy Awards we bring you Cindy Murphy’s Oscar Doppleganger Diptychs starting with the most nominated of the bunch . . . Continue Reading…
We Might Be Experimenting On You featuring Kym Bernazky and Melanie Jones
I could say SO MUCH about We Might Be Experimenting On You - but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Seriously. I have been. Doctors (and writers) Kym Bernazky and Melanie Jones are very clear about this. But I can tell you this much – We Might Be Experimenting On You was a delightful surprise and I’ll try to explain why while still being as cryptic as possible.
Welcome back to another installment of FRIGID New York Festival 2011 Q&A! We’ll be running these throughout February, so be sure to check back to read all about the great shows that will be taking part in the festival. Also – don’t miss the winner-take-all game of Rock Paper Scissors! Today’s Q&A is with Olivia Lehrman, performer in Pretty-n-Papi.
The very last reality show to be made. Are Pretty-n-Papi the first ‘reality’ lesbian couple? The 1st immigrant couple? Poster children for love after sixty? Let this zany trio of women take you on an energetic and absurd ride to the future of reality television.
Flora (Tali Custer) is so sweet when she shows up at the door of Willard (Jeffrey Coyne) selling White Sexy Face Toothpaste that it’s easy to see why he can’t resist her. Just look at her. So peppy. So bright. So nubile. Why, she’s the exact kind of 14 year old a man could find planted smack in the middle of a Dateline sting operation. But Willard didn’t even have to fall for that. No – Flora came to his door. With mmmmm – toothpaste. Bitchin’ Blueberry. A whole suitcase full. No cameras. No reporters. Just a gal with a desire to sell him the best gosh darn toothpaste there is, so that she can win the contest and go to the Virgin Islands. And of course Willard will help her. He is, after all, A Kind Kind Man.
Welcome back to another installment of FRIGID New York Festival 2011 Q&A! We’ll be running these throughout February, so be sure to check back to read all about the great shows that will be taking part in the festival. Also – don’t miss the winner-take-all game of Rock Paper Scissors! Today’s Q&A is with Jayson McDonald, Writer/Performer of Boat Load.
Gary is a brilliant actor who needs a thousand dollars to participate in a high-profile performer showcase. Also, his cat needs a thousand dollar operation, but that’s too much money to spend on a cat.
Welcome back to another installment of FRIGID New York Festival 2011 Q&A! We’ll be running these throughout February, so be sure to check back to read all about the great shows that will be taking part in the festival. Also – don’t miss the winner-take-all game of Rock Paper Scissors! Today’s Q&A is with The Bitter Poet himself who is the poet and performer of The Bitter Poet: Looking For Love In All The Wrong Black Box Performance Spaces
New York City’s comic performance artist, The Bitter Poet, performs his guitar-driven poems in this darkly humorous and satirical one-man show about searching for True Love and the contortionists you meet along the way… A high-energy, irreverent celebration of the crazy things we do for love.
