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A CurtainUp Review
Spin
Spin is another collection of five short plays about the concept of spin (last year's offering was on vengeance), authored by Gina Gionfriddo, Elizabeth Meriwether, Adam Rapp, Mark Schultz and Judith Thompson. It's a glimpse into the cultural mindset of America, and overall it's a fun if occasionally disappointing night of theatre.
The collection begins with America's Got Tragedy by Gina Gionfriddo. The title refers to America's hottest new game show in which two contestants share their tales of woe and a judge picks the one whose life is most tragic (prize: a big bag of money). In this episode, Britney Spears is pitted against a soldier who died in Iraq. Quick, guess who wins. It's not the soldier. It's a scathing commentary on the media's obsession with all manner of inanity and not the war, but it also provides a look into America's rampant anti-intellectualism in the form of the Brown professor and judge, Dr. Charney (Rebecca Henderson). She offers many speeches on the true Greek definition of tragedy, all of which the smarmy game show host (David Ross) shoots down.
Next up is 90 Days by Elizabeth Meriweather, about a newlywed couple. Elliott (Patch Darragh) is just completing a 90-day stint in rehab, and Abby (Rebecca Henderson), his chipper new wife, is desperately trying to cheer him up via speakerphone. They're both trying to keep the conversation light and frivolous, but inevitably their darker truths and fears emerge.
Nail Biter by Judith Thompson is the most serious piece of the quintet. David (Jesse Hooker) is a member of the Canadian army, recently involved in a scandal about the torture of a 15-year-old Iraqi prisoner. He's trying to justify his actions, both to himself and to us. While his reasons are valid, he knows the whole thing was unjust and morally repugnant— hence his complete inability to stop biting his nails.
Fun by Mark Schultz is a weird sort of manipulation. Grady (Patch Darragh) is an established porn star. Jamie (Dreama Walker) is new to the porn world but has made a name for herself in some fetish films (no sex involved). Grady wants to sleep with her, but she's adamant in her refusal (she "doesn't have sex." In a downward spiral of exploitation, he attempts to get her comfortable and then to roundabout-ly talk her into it.
Tone Unknown by Adam Rapp is the most disappointing. It is the story of a reality show hostess, Victoria (Rebecca Henderson) and her search for the next new hot thing. She's looking for the elusive and legendary guitar player Cerval Hyler (Jesse Hooker), who's rumored to be able to play a guitar tone that invokes the Rapture. When he unexpectedly appears and begins playing, she and her small crew are sent into a literal frenzy. The writing is classic Rapp, weird and haunting in a very unexpected way. However, as staged, it comes across as kind of hokey and slapdash. Don't judge Rapp's work by this production.
The actors are all great and, for the most part, the plays are well-written. However, all are staged rather casually. America's Got Tragedy like Tone Unknown, seems a little rushed. The sets pvera;; are minimal, as they should be, with some interesting video design in three of the plays. Directors Evan Cabnet and Alex Kilgore are perhaps to blame for the slipshod nature of some of the pieces but slipshod or not, this is a fun night of of theater.
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Spin Written by Gina Gionfriddo, Elizabeth Meriwether, Adam Rapp, Mark Schultz and Judith Thompson Directed by Evan Cabnet and Alex Kilgore With: Patch Darragh, Rebecca Henderson, Jessi Hooker, David Ross and Dreama Walker Set Designer: John McDermott Lighting Designer: Nicole Pearce Sound Designer: Ken Hypes and John Kilgore Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission stageFARM at Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street, 212-352-3101 Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 pm Tickets $.99 through $30 October 2—November 9 Reviewed by Jenny Sandman based on October 8th performance |
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