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A CurtainUp Review
Lucy Loves Me
| “DIARRHEA! Liquid Gold! How could a child of mine not know what number three is?!”
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Joining Lucy (a sweet Bertha Leal) and Milton (an earnest Gerardo Rodriguez) in this story is also Cookie, Lucy’s young, fussy mother (a skeptical Annie Henk). In the scenes of Lucy Loves Me, however, their roles are reserved, with Cookie needing to be fed, throwing tantrums, acting out. Lucy’s motherly ways are forced— she has not had the appropriate role model.
The setup of this work is a meet-cute, boy-meets-girl-meets-mother story. But playwright Migdalia Cruz isn’t going for the traditional. She’s keeping the story surreal. This play is not exactly what one could call in the absurd style, but it is easy to see and hear the influence of her mentor Maria Irene Fornes. These characters and dialogue are interpretations of the real, but they are symbolic interpretations, not representational. They are more Id than Ego and the tone of the play moves between eerie, mysterious, sad, and dark.
I admire the discomfiting relationships and story that Cruz brings to us. But this production takes too much of a straightforward approach to this not-so straightforward play. And the characters’ intentions, which are not always so clear from the play itself, do not always become more lucid with Lou Moreno’s direction. At times the play seems to go too fast, and rush by important subtext. Unfortunately, the super-spare production elements also do not help to elevate this play beyond realism. The result is, in essence, a mixed message of a show. I left the theater a little confused, yet with no clear questions in my mind either.
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Lucy Loves Me Written by Migdalia Cruz Directed by Lou Moreno Cast: Gerardo Rodriguez, Bertha Leal, Annie Henk Sets: Raul Abrego Costumes: Meghan Healey Sound: Marios Aristopoulos Lighting: Nicole Pearce Fight Director: David Anzuelo Production Stage Manager: Sergio Cruz Stage Manager: Devin Day Intar Theatre, 500 West 52nd Street, www.intartheatre.org 212 352 3101 From February 22, through March 24th; opening March 3rd Wednesdays - Saturdays @ 800pm, Sundays at 5pm Reviewed by Amanda Cooper based on 2/28/13 performance |
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