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A CurtainUp Review
The Architecture Of Becoming
By Elyse Sommer
It turns out that the Landmark that's currently home to the Womens Project Theater gets short shrift. The link between the stories of five contemporary fictional characters and City Center's history has all the force of a wet noodle. I've followed Womens Project Theater even before its move to City Center's Stage II. Even their less than perfect 10 offerings have always been interesting, well staged and performed. I very much liked last season's Bethany . So far, however, this has been a disappointing season, though Row After Row wasn't quite as much of a let-down as this follow-up. So, hopefully, this is an isolated total misstep, prompted by an understandable urge to celebrate their being part of a legendary entertainment complex. In the meantime, all I can tell you about this ill-conceived endeavor is that it's a case of too many cooks spoiling what should have been a rich and tasty broth. Things start out promisingly enough with scenes from The Sheik starring Rudolph Valentino, one of City Center's many stars. Valentino is even listed as a character. But its downhill from the minute the first of the multiple role playing actors appears on stage in the guise of a fledgling journalist who wants to write a story about City Center. At the entrance of the darkened venue she's greeted by a colorfully costumed ghost called Grand Dame who offers to help her get a handle on her story. This begs for more about the famous figures who actually appeared on the City Center Stage. Instead, the multiple playwrights have opted for a meta-theatrical approach that focuses on various fictional characters who have found their way to New York City seeking their own way to tap into its creative spirit and survive. The result simply doesn't satisfy. What we get is a little bit of everything — that is, except naturally linked stories and genuinely interesting bits of City Center history. While the cast can be credited for taking on some two dozen characters, they lack the acting chops to make their characters truly compelling. Their entrances and exits are rather awkwardly staged by all three directors, with dialogue too often delivered at a screaming level. Maybe the playwrights and directors had fun working together, but I found their joint efforts neither fun or enlightening to watch. Enough said about this mish-mash of pretentiously stylized playlets. Until a more satisfying bio-play about City Center comes along, I'll settle for enjoying the Encores! concert productions and other events at the historic buiding's Main Stage, as well as what's on offer at the two downstairs theaters. I have high hopes for Women's Project Theater's upcoming The Most Deserving by Catherine Trieschmann. With the always outstanding Veanne Cox in the cast, it's practically guaranteed to satisfy at least in the acting department.
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