relationships

REVIEW: Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Scenes of (Dis)Connections’ at NYC’s The Chain Theatre One Act Winter Festival

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Oh, what might have been….

Don’t let the upbeat opening music fool you.  This is one intense table.

Three individuals arrive at a poker game.  One individual is earnestly present in spite of her current circumstances and two cannot escape their immediate pressures and distractions even though they all share a common goal – to be present together. 

Mary McCarthy, Griffin Garnett and Hannah Wu in Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Scenes of (Dis)connections’ Photo by Shannon Adams Creative

Written and directed thoughtfully by Kevin T. Durfee, Chain Theatre presented Scenes of (Dis) Connections as part of Chain Theatre’s One Act Winter Festival #27 which took place virtually and in person at Chain Theatre in New York City.  Due to a blizzard, this program had to be delayed a week.  Click here for more information about the production and here for more information about Chain Theatre, which presents over 90 one act productions during its annual winter festival.

Mary McCarthy in Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Scenes of (Dis)connections’ Photo by Shannon Adams Creative

A small, floral covered table should bring friends together, but they cannot help but misunderstand each other.  In their own way, they all secretly plead for help, but cannot be heard.  Durfee uses communication breakdown in a clever way to depict each individual’s perspective through Mary McCarthy as struggling mother One, Griffin Garnett portrays struggling worker Another, and Hannah Wu depicts unemployed Alternative.  Athleisure, a business suit, and casually dressed respectively fittingly reflect their distinctive life perspectives.   They all aptly underline their distress as they long for the comfort of each other’s company, but cannot escape their various individual pressures.  

Griffin Garnett in Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Scenes of (Dis)connections’ Photo by Shannon Adams Creative

Confiding and connecting are so important.  Durfee was inspired to write this work through his own experiences meeting up with friends and everyone is so engulfed in their current circumstances, they catch up, but may lack genuine connection.  Durfee uses potentially life altering circumstances, but lack of connection is so easy to do in friendship or in any relationship, especially when even the lure of a cell phone is enough of a distraction from making a genuine human connection.  Listening, connection and confiding can lighten anyone’s struggles even when things happen.   

Hannah Wu in Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Scenes of (Dis)connections’ Photo by Shannon Adams Creative

Scenes of (Dis) Connections provide just a snapshot of a friendship without a background story, but could be the foundation of a larger narrative.  In its brief time, it begs a few questions about these three interesting characters.  How they became friends, how they found themselves in these circumstances and how their friendship progresses would make for an excellent larger production. 

Mary McCarthy, Griffin Garnett and Hannah Wu in Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Scenes of (Dis)connections’ Photo by Ryan Blaise and Shannon Adams Creative

Chain Theatre presented Scenes of (Dis) Connections as part of Chain Theatre’s One Act Winter Festival #27 which took place virtually and in person at Chain Theatre in New York City.  Click here for more information about the production and here for more information about Chain Theatre.

REVIEW:  From comedy to complication in Erin Moughon’s ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Kevin Cheng’s ‘Dear Diary,’ Pascal Phoa’s ‘Last Train to Nevada’ and Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Between the Wired Fence’ at NYC’s The Chain Theatre One Act Winter Festival

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

From traumatic to comical to poignant, Program #9 explores a variety of struggles among two people from strangers to spouses including grief, circumstances or growing apart.

Chain Theatre’s One Act Winter Festival continues both live stream and in person at the Chain Theatre in New York, New York through March 2. Erin Moughon’s Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Kevin Cheng’s Dear Diary and Pascal Phoa’s Last Train to Nevada are 15 minute One Act productions Kevin T. Durfee’s Between the Wired Fence runs 45 minutes. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Aren’t most breakups complicated?  However, this particular one is on another level.

Claire Shiell and Matthew Menendez in Erin Moughon’s Escape (The Pina Colada Song) Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

Candidly directed by Perryn Pomatto, Erin Moughon’s Escape (The Pina Colada Song) shares too small a snapshot into a relationship with quickly building tension as a woman breaks the news to her boyfriend that she wants to break up with him.  What ensues is outside the expected as Claire Shiell and Matthew Menendez share some humorous moments unleashing frank relationship truths along the way building to a fascinating revelation.  Escape leaves more questions that beg for a prequel or a sequel to this one act.

Elizabeth McBryde and Kevin Cheung in Kevin Cheng’s ‘Dear Diary’ Photo by Genda Lin @gendalin

With ruminating direction by Emily M. White, the cherry blossoms are in bloom as Elizabeth McBryde as reserved Josie settles on a Central Park bench to verbalize her thoughts in her daily journal entry in Kevin Cheng’s Dear Diary.  However, her sensible thoughts are interrupted by an encounter with Kevin Cheng who is memorable as optimistic and cheerful Pablo practicing a speech. Dear Diary is poignant and funny with more to the story that Josie can reveal as disarming Pablo charms her into helping him out and they discover more about one another.

Elizabeth McBryde and Kevin Cheng in Kevin Cheng’s ‘Dear Diary’ Photo by Genda Lin @gendalin

What if escape is your last hope?

Pascal Phoa’s Last Train to Nevada focuses on a couple who are running out of options in 1942.  Their only hope of being together requires a drastic change that is sure to change both their lives.  With stirring direction by Yibin Wang, Pascal Phoa portrays an uncertain Freddy and Gwyneth Benitez-Graham as a despairing Ida from different countries in a dangerous and intolerant climate.  Phoa and Graham bring complexity to their character’s motivations as time is running out and they are in urgent need of an answer.

Pascal Phoa and Gwyneth Benitez-Graham in Pascal Phoa’s ‘Last Train to Nevada’ Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

At some point, something has to give.

Written and directed by Kevin T. Durfee, Between the Wired Fence reflects on timing and aspiration as a couple metaphorically stares at one another from two sides of a figurative fence.

Elisa Falanga and Shannon Adams-Gray in Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Between the Wired Fence’ Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

Shannon Adams-Gray offers a thought provoking performance as overwhelmed but successful financial adviser Sawyer who was once an aspiring actress.  Daniel Bishop portrays Odie, Sawyer’s spontaneous and intuitive husband who tries to help her cope as he pursues a career in performance art.  Bishop as Odie’s outlandish and over the top persona is a seeming contrast to Adams-Gray as Sawyer’s forced sensibilities, but there lies an underlying charm and clear bond in their brief stage time together.

Daniel Bishop Kevin T. Durfee’s ‘Between the Wired Fence’ Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

When Elisa Falanga delivers a mysterious package, it springs forth an eye opening reckoning for Sawyer and a new understanding on how they can both move forward.

Between the Wired Fence offers humor and insight on both sides of the fence into life’s delicate timing while touching upon the anxieties and pressures of the world and what it means to succeed.

Chain Theatre’s One Act Winter Festival continues both live stream and in person at the Chain Theatre in New York, New York through March 2.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Love and family drive a moving and powerful world premiere of ‘Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?)’ presented by Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Family can be complicated.  Some ancestors have passed away and maybe you would give anything to speak to or enjoy a meal with them one more time.  Others you endure and it can be so emotionally draining, it is a battle to stay connected.

Featuring a special opening act concert performance by Sarah Shin on Wednesday, November 27 prior to Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?), this particular evening presentation manages to explore both types of relationships.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

Written and performed affectively by Zoë Kim and perceptively directed by Chris Yejin, Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) , a world premiere production from Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions, is a moving autobiographical recollection on love and family continuing live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, November 30.  This bilingual one woman performance is 75 minutes with no intermission.  The paper program not only offers details on the show, but also features a wonderful and fitting cookbook section on Korean comfort food.  Click here for more information and for tickets which are limited.

Sarah Shin Photo credit to Chuang Stage

Candid and engaging, Did You Eat‘s featured a special opening act performance by Sarah Shin.  With a peach electric guitar, she paid tribute to her late grandfather who led a big life with a big family.  With yearning vocals, she longs for conversations with him about her craft knowing what she knows now.   Though the song might have been explored an octave lower, it is a lovely and personal number that resonates with anyone who discovers they have common ground with those who have come before them. 

With rich accompaniment by Alison Yueming Qu, Shin also performed a raw and humorous song about the aftermath of a breakup enhanced by Shin’s soaring and unique vocals.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

Accented by ethereal and shrouded pastel colored drapes and a multicolored painted floor, Did You Eat evokes a guileless innocence and Aegyo in Szu-Feng Chen’s cheerful and lively set design and costuming featuring braids and sunflowers, a bloom which symbolizes resilience. Katie Kuan-Yu Chen’s lingering and at times dreamy sound design with Michi Zaya’s distinctive projections and Ari Kim’s dynamic lighting illustrates a wide range of emotions from hyper vigilance to love at first sight.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

A mother (Umma) who was not ready to become a mother but wanted to please her family and a father (Appa) who wanted to please his family and prove his manhood by having a son.  Diving into the dysfunction and expectations set by a Korean family, Did you Eat is a multifaceted journey performed and recounted by Korean-American Zoë Kim in a stirring one woman performance.  Her use of the second person perspective is part of what makes Kim’s story engulfing for the audience as she navigates the struggle she endured growing up and the repercussions it had on her psyche and well being.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

A winding journey that is at times funny, haunting, harrowing, relatable and always powerful, Kim transitions each feeling with skill, physical prowess, and a natural fluidity as each scene intensely alters in tone.  An earnest piece steeped in emotion, the production is enhanced by Christopher Shin’s striking chorography that varies from subtle to sharp and abrupt movements to interpretive dance.  Kim army crawls, slices the air, and slides across the floor and yet also emits joy through childlike movements and a beaming smile.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

The term Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) is inherently a phrase used in love language and how actions speak louder than words and yet words are significant and binding.  Kim also longs to please her family and within its raw honesty through resentment, isolation, shame, guilt and seemingly impossible circumstances, shares a beautiful life lesson about identity, trust, self love and what it takes to shine.   

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

 Written and performed affectively by Zoë Kim and perceptively directed by Chris Yejin, Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) , a world premiere production from Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions, is a moving autobiographical recollection on love and family continuing live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, November 30.  This bilingual one woman performance is 75 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets which are limited.

REVIEW:  Sisterhood is the new black in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s vivacious ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Call this cast a girl squad and a sisterhood.

With potent direction by Paula Plum and based on the bestselling memoir by Ilene Beckerman, Hub Theatre Company of Boston presents Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron’s semi-interactive production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore live and in person at Club Café in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 5.  This show is 90 minutes with no intermission and pay-what-you-can tickets are available.  It occasionally contains adult and unfiltered language.  Purchase a drink during this show and Club Café also offers a full menu.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Lauren Elisa, June Kfoury, Barbara Douglass, Evelyn Holley, and Nettie Chickering in Hub Theatre’s ‘Love, Loss, and ‘What I Wore’ Photo credit to Tim Gurczak

The name Nora Ephron must ring a bell.  She was a famous award-winning rom-com journalist, writer, and filmmaker best known for 1983’s Silkwood, 1989’s When Harry Met Sally as well as 90s rom com classics Sleepless and Seattle and You’ve Got Mail before co-writing the screenplay for Julie and Julia in 2009.  Ephron’s signature style tackled the seriousness of life with a lighthearted demeanor and always found some relatable humor along the way.  With her sister Delia, Nora lends that empowering humor and charm to Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

June Kfoury, Evelyn Holley, Nettie Chickering, Lauren Elias, and Barbara Douglass in ‘Hub Theatre’s ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore’ Photo credit to Tim Gurczak

One of the greatest strengths of Love, Loss and What I Wore is the ensemble’s beautiful camaraderie.  Love Loss and What I Wore has a gift for eloquently associating fashion with life’s bittersweet challenges.  Portraying several ages while sharing that walk down memory lane is Nettie Chickering, Barbara Douglass, Lauren Elias, Evelyn Holley, and June Kfoury.  Dressed in chic black by Kat Lawrence, they allow their vibrant experiences to take center stage.  From fashion faux pas to that eternally favorite garment, five women lay bare their fondest memories and insecurities.  It is a love letter to growing up and growing older in all of its wonder and complications. 

Nettie Chickering in Hub Theatre’s ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore’ Photo credit to Tim Gurczak

To an array of lighthearted club hits between scenes, this dynamic group share silly, sad, courageous and important stories with collaborative flair and wistfulness.  They dance, grieve, conspire, tease, support and relate to each other all while discussing everything from relationships to family to roommates to the trials and tribulations of being a woman in a fun loving and deeply personal manner.  A few lighter moments include witnessing Lauren Elias and her hilarious and empathetic comments about carrying a purse, Douglass’s wise and humorous motherly advice, and the sheer joy and supportive manner in which these women appreciate each other’s company.   However, what stirs the production the most is contained in this group’s most significant challenges.  The stories they share are raw, honest, at times rueful, and may seem familiar as well.

June Kfoury in Hub Theatre’s ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore’ Photo credit to Tim Gurczak

With Talia Elise’s dazzling lighting powering a bright and cheerful set which includes glowing string lights, a luminous neon hanger, shimmering disco ball, multicolor boas, and an illustrated clothing rack by Justin Lahue and Maggie Shivers plus a wonderful dose of nostalgia, Love Loss and What I Wore is a captivating experience into life’s surprises and how to discover what is truly important.

Hub Theatre Company of Boston presents Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron’s semi-interactive production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore live and in person at Club Café in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 5.  This show is 90 minutes with no intermission and pay-what-you-can tickets are available.  It occasionally contains adult and unfiltered language.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Tension mounts for an endearing couple in Lyric Stage’s meaningful production, ‘The Light’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

One night can change everything.

Genesis and Rashad think they know each other well.  This lovable couple jokes, knows each other’s likes, quirks, habits, and dreams, and yet in one night, they start to see each other in a new and unfamiliar way.

With multi-layer direction by Jacqui Parker, Lyric Stage Company presents Loy A. Webb’s The Light through June 26 at Lyric Stage Company live and in person in Boston, Massachusetts.  The show is 70 minutes long with no intermission and is Lyric Stage’s final show of the season.  This show contains mature topics.  Click here for more information and tickets.

Dominic Carter as Rashad and Yewande Odetoyinbo as Genesis in ‘The Light’ Photo by Mark S Howard

Surrounded by Baron E. Pugh’s inviting apartment setting which includes a purple couch, teal chairs, and colorful accents by Lauren Corcuera while sketches of Beyoncé, Maya Angelou, Michelle Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsberg hang overhead, Genesis and Rashad know this isn’t just any night.  It’s their anniversary.

Yewande Odetoyinbo as Genesis and Dominic Carter as Rashad in ‘The Light’ Photo by Mark S Howard

Elmer Martinez’s expressive lighting enhances the evocative nature of this production.  It is a meaningful show hinging on the strengths of its leads and Yewande Odetoyinbo as school principal Genesis and Dominic Carter as firefighter Rashad are more than up to the task.  While both characters are stubborn, Odetoyinbo’s grounded and witty nature as Genesis strikes an important balance with Carter’s optimistic and playful sense of humor as Rashad.  Carter is charismatically charming and leads in some of the production’s funniest moments while Odetoyinbo as Genesis is best as the tension builds.  It is a joy to watch as they zing each other, tease, dream about the future, debate, and share some of their most treasured memories together.  Their innate and compelling chemistry attract such a fondness for this couple that it is easy to get lost in what seems like their complete compatibility.

Dominic Carter as Rashad and Yewande Odetoyinbo as Genesis in ‘The Light’ Photo by Mark S Howard

However, realizations and revelations run deep on this special night. Webb’s clever script invites the audience into this couple’s intimate relationship in all its charms with some passing notes of underlying resentment while carefully laying its cards on the table and raising the stakes through every twist and turn.  Odetoyinbo and Carter are a true force as they approach the humor, tension and the difficult and serious topics with compassion. 

Yewande Odetoyinbo as Genesis and Dominic Carter as Rashad in ‘The Light’ Photo by Mark S Howard

The Light makes the most out of its 70 minute run time.  It has good pacing and escalates quickly, fueled by Odetoyinbo and Carter’s natural chemistry as the show veers toward its powerful conclusion.

Lyric Stage Company presents Loy A. Webb’s The Light through June 26 at Lyric Stage Company live and in person in Boston, Massachusetts.  The show is 70 minutes long with no intermission and is Lyric Stage’s final show of the season.  This show contains mature topics.  Click here for more information and tickets.

REVIEW: Fueled by a nostalgic rock soundtrack and a charismatic storyteller, Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s ‘Wild Horses’ a lively and momentous tale

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Nothing brings back memories quite like a song.

The power of music is in full force in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s (MRT) production of Alison Gregory’s Wild Horses streaming on demand through Sunday, October 17.  Merrimack Repertory Theatre previously offered the production in person from September 15 through October 3 at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, Massachusetts.  The show contains mature language and some adult themes. Click here for more information and tickets to this virtual performance.

  • Leenya Rideout and Rafael Molina during filming at Unitas Community Center, Lowell. Photo: Kathy Wittman

Directed with heart and humor by Courtney Sale, Wild Horses delves into the life of the mother of a teenage daughter, portrayed with a blend of lively charm and excitable nervousness by Leenya Rideout, as she gets wrapped up recalling her story of a special California summer during her 13th year in the 70s while onstage at an open mic night.  Rideout evokes a sense of adventure during this musically-fueled Moth Radio Hour featuring lyrics from 70s greats Rolling Stones, Heart, Van Morrison, America, and more.

Having delivered a likable performance in the 2020 indie film, Love, Repeat, Rideout further showcases her dynamic range in this meatier Wild Horses role with a humorous, heartfelt and sometimes raunchy performance.  See what Sleepless Critic had to say about Rideout in Love, Repeat here. 

  • Leenya Rideout performing “Wild Horses” at Western Avenue Studios.

With a love for music almost as much as horses, Rideout sings, strums an acoustic guitar, and proves an energetic and engaging storyteller sharing her experiences from a studious perfectionist to a teenager not afraid to break a few rules with the encouragement from her daring friends.   With no shortage of excitement, scandal, humor, and heartache, Rideout’s onstage demeanor switches from responsible mother in need of a night out to wide eyed, youthful innocent with all the angst that goes with it.  She blends what she remembers with her current wisdom, dwelling in the sacredness of youth. Ranging from teenage pranks to rites of passage, Rideout recalls these stories with wistfulness and passion, interacting with the audience like old friends.

  • Leenya Rideout during filming at Unitas Community Center, Lowell. Photo: Kathy Wittman

Costume designer A. Lee Viliesis has Rideout ready to rock in an animal print scarf, Fender T Shirt, and ripped jeans and accompanied by guitarist Rafael Molina, she slips right into this adolescent spirit longing to be wild and free.  All that is necessary is a little courage.

Here’s to the ‘freedom takers’ with Merrimack Repertory’s production of Wild Horses continues streaming through Sunday, October 17.  Click here for more information and to get a closer look on MRT’s new season.

REVIEW: Somber, funny, bleak, and hopeful, PTP/NYC’s ‘Standing on the Edge of Time’ waxes political and poetic

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Opening with a remarkable reflection connecting theatre to the human heart, a bare stage shows signs of life once again.

Potomac Theatre Project (PTP/NYC) opened their virtual summer play series earlier this month with Lunch, a clever show that unconventionally explored the art of conversation.  Directed judiciously by Cheryl Faraone, Standing on the Edge of Time waxes both political and poetic in conversation as it explores the bleak yet hopeful state of the world through a selection of works from different authors. 

Standing on the Edge of Time is the second of three summer virtual plays presented by PTP/NYC and continues through July 27.  Viewings are free and donations are encouraged.  This show was filmed adhering to Covid guidelines, runs approximately 90 minutes, and has mature themes.  Click here for more information, how to view the show, and how to support PTP/NYC’s mission.

From the haunted balconies of an old, empty theatre, even the dead wrestle with their wild, melancholy, and world-weary experiences in Mac Wellman’s Crowbar.  This segment provides the perfect framework leading into various works that delve into contemporary issues from freedom, frustration, road rage, and relationships to downsizing, grief, sex, and paranoia. 

Mac Wellman’s ‘Crowbar’ Alex Draper as Mr. Rioso Photo courtesy of PTP/NYC

Though each segment is written by different authors, its engaging format provides a flow that rarely veers off course.   The show boasts poetic and timely musings such as Mornings at the Lake with Madison Middleton and Spell of Motion by Stacie Cassarino with Stephanie Janssen featuring some beautiful outdoor cinematography as well as haunting James Saunders’ Next Time I’ll Sing to You with Tara Giordano.  Though the majority of Standing on the Edge of Time is thought-provoking, these quieter segments provide respite from the production’s heavier topics and satirical themes.

Stacie Cassarino’s ‘Mornings at the Lake’ with Stephanie Janssen Photo courtesy of PTP/NYC

Some highlights include Dominique Morisseau’s relatable and occasionally humorous Skeleton Crew, the zany and unique ideas presented in David Auburn’s What Do You Believe about the Future, and the surprising facts revealed of history repeating in Constance Congdon’s Tales of the Lost Formicans. 

The cast portray a myriad of roles, but apart from Crowbar, do not seem like they are playing particular characters for the most part.  The lively cast seems like a semblance of individuals exploring contemporary issues, fears, and unique ideas of the future.

David Auburn’s ‘What Do you Believe about the Future?’ (L to R) Stephanie Janssen, Christopher Marshall, Madison Middleton, Gabrielle Martin, Aubrey Dube, Becca Berlind, Wynn McClenahan, Maggie Connolly, Francis Price and Gibson Grimm Photo courtesy of PTP/NYC

PTP/NYC’s Standing on the Edge of Time continues streaming through Tuesday, July 27.  Click here for more information.  Please note there is a final segment following the production’s credits.  PTC/NYC will present their final virtual summer show, A Small Handful from August 13-17.