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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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A CurtainUp NJ Review
Struck
In Sandy Rustin's Struck fate, fortune, new age(y) philosophy, Jewish ancestry and the Holocaust collide with a mix of the hilarious and the horrifying. The appearance of the cyclist James (Benjamin Puvalowski) with a bouquet as an apparent gesture of concern is as surprising as are the unsurprisingly numerous visits to the Resnick's apartment by their kooky middle-aged neighbor Vicky (Jenny Bacon). She is a motor-mouthed woman with questionable psychic abilities and a range of interests that careen between the homeopathic to the metaphysical. On the lookout for a third husband is also on her agenda. Totally off-the-wall, Vicky is the main source of the play's humor, in as much as a painting that literally is taken off the wall becomes its point of horror. More of the plot, which the playwright has said was inspired by her own being hit by a bike, would be a spoiler. Those who have seen the recent film Woman in Gold with Helen Mirren, will be additionally intrigued by a plot device that does a double twist on the attempt by Jews to reclaim art stolen from them by the Nazis. At any rate, there are some lively and enlightening encounters between the above characters as well as with a middle-aged Frenchman Bertrand (nicely restrained performance by Matthew Shepard) who enters late during the eighty-minute run time. There's fine acting by Maris, as the hyper-anxious Vera and Bradley as the calming Nate, the play, under the precise direction of Don Stephenson. However, the play gets its most dramatic fuel, however, from Puvalowski as the young man with a mission and from Bacon whose un-moored chattering suggests she may also be unhinged. Rustin's comedy should find a welcome in regional theaters following this world premiere. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES Struck by Sandy Rustin Directed by Don Stephenson Cast: Adam Bradley (Nate Resnick), Susan Maris (Vera Resnick), Jenny Bacon (Vicky), Benjamin Puvalowski (James), Matthew Shepard (Bertrand) Stage Manager: Jennifer Tardibuono Scenic Design: Jessica Parks Lighting Design: Jill Nagle Sound Design: Merek Royce Press Costume Design: Patricia E. Doherty Running Time: 1 hour 20 minutes no intermission New Jersey Repertory Company, Long Branch, N.J. 179 Broadway, Long Branch, N.J. (732) 229 - 3166 Tickets: $45.00 Performances: Thursday, Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays, 3 pm and 8 pm; Sundays at 2 pm. NJ CONNECTIONS NJ Theaters NJ Theatre Alliance Discount Tix Information REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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