Lovely little plays by very good American writers ****
Fri, 6 Oct 2006, 05:30 pmGordon the Optom1 post in thread
Lovely little plays by very good American writers ****
Fri, 6 Oct 2006, 05:30 pmThis series of 10-minute plays were selected as directing exercises for the Curtin Theatre students, most succeeded.
Wednesday and Friday night (SHOW ONE): ‘The sin-eater’ by Don Nigro is the strange story of the village sin-eater who has turned up at the funeral of his heart-throb. The family are horrified and he is asked to leave and that his skills at extracting sins from the deceased before burial will be no longer required. Being left aloe with the body necrophilia crosses his mind. This sounds horrendous but it was hilarious. The comedy from actors Amy welsh and Colin Craig worked well with Kirk Goodsell’s direction
‘Unintended video’. Bradley Stevens directed two very talented actors, Alan Chambers – as the facially scarred man in the park – and Julia Petricevic as a passer-by who inadvertently filmed him feeding the birds. A very touching story sensitively put over.
‘He gave her the eye’ despite excellent acting from Bonnie Parker and Kelvin Jay Hourquebie didn’t quite work. It is the tale of a man who finds one morning that he has had electronic circuitry implanted in his head and is now an alien.
‘Electric Roses’ the story of a jealous lover, capably directed by Paige Marshall was a little weak on the script, but the actors – Alan Chamber, Andy Harmsen and Hannah Brennan – managed to get the moist out of it.
‘Misreadings’ The schoolkid from hell (Kelly Paterniti) was facing her teacher (Erin Hutchinson) who was rapidly losing the battle to get the pupil to conform. Very funny, great acting from both actors. Imaginatively directed by Angelique Jorre de St Jorre.
‘Downtown’ at some time or other, we have all stood at the side of a dance hall or party with a couple of friends and commented on the others in the room. Elle Fussell, Bonnie Parker and Andrew Thom helped us see the funny side with the direction of Megan Guise.
‘At sea’ is a play for the lovers of the inane. Husband (Matt Prosper) and wife (Erin Hutchinson) like to share a bath together, unfortunately he insists on full wet suits and snorkel when they go for their swim together – in the bath! Unbelievable, but with the subtlety of Clea Jones’ directing and the wonderful acting of Matt and Erin one wonders if we are the people who are missing out!!
Sea’ was my favourites.
Thursday and Saturday (SHOW TWO) ‘The office’ showed how bored some secretarial staff can get whilst working in an office. Hannah Brennan and Alexia Ashwell-Jones found strange and wonderful things to do to lighten their day. Their very shy office friend, Bonnie Parker, quietly joined in. Mischa Ipp is to be congratulated on this humorous piece.
‘Breaking the chain’ shows that those annoying chain letters may be more successful than one thinks. Maybe it is the senders who are the real source of aggravation. Cassie Vagliviello directed this slightly silly story, with Nate Doherty, Hannah Featherston and Nicole DiGregorio LaBianca playing the parts of the lucky couple and their pestered neighbour.
‘The league of semi-super heroes’ tells the tale of a fancy dressed group who hire themselves out for parties and special events – but not surprisingly have not been employed for many months. I felt was the poorest of the whole series. Despite imaginative costumes, a large cast getting into the mad situation it never really took off. I think it is a problem with the initial concept for the play and poor script.
‘One hundred women’ directed by Carly Wood is an insight to the feelings behind two flat mates. Just as the little boy in primary school pulls the hair of the girl that he ‘loves’ in a sad attempt to communicate, then one of the women (Kate Bailey) treats her ‘straight’ flat mate (Deidre Lynam) with apparent contempt, whilst being totally infatuated by her. The script was a little short to create the full mood required for a story like this.
‘What I meant was …’ directed by Kat Shaw, herself a good comedienne, tells of a family where the close and loving relations gradually tell each other their true feelings and thoughts. A very cleverly written and uproarious play with Matt Prosper, Andy Harmsen, Julia Petricevic and Sara Marrocco all at their very best.
Two good fun nights. Some superb plays one or two a little weak.
This series of 10-minute plays were selected as directing exercises for the Curtin Theatre students, most succeeded.
Wednesday and Friday night (SHOW ONE): ‘The sin-eater’ by Don Nigro is the strange story of the village sin-eater who has turned up at the funeral of his heart-throb. The family are horrified and he is asked to leave and that his skills at extracting sins from the deceased before burial will be no longer required. Being left aloe with the body necrophilia crosses his mind. This sounds horrendous but it was hilarious. The comedy from actors Amy welsh and Colin Craig worked well with Kirk Goodsell’s direction
‘Unintended video’. Bradley Stevens directed two very talented actors, Alan Chambers – as the facially scarred man in the park – and Julia Petricevic as a passer-by who inadvertently filmed him feeding the birds. A very touching story sensitively put over.
‘He gave her the eye’ despite excellent acting from Bonnie Parker and Kelvin Jay Hourquebie didn’t quite work. It is the tale of a man who finds one morning that he has had electronic circuitry implanted in his head and is now an alien.
‘Electric Roses’ the story of a jealous lover, capably directed by Paige Marshall was a little weak on the script, but the actors – Alan Chamber, Andy Harmsen and Hannah Brennan – managed to get the moist out of it.
‘Misreadings’ The schoolkid from hell (Kelly Paterniti) was facing her teacher (Erin Hutchinson) who was rapidly losing the battle to get the pupil to conform. Very funny, great acting from both actors. Imaginatively directed by Angelique Jorre de St Jorre.
‘Downtown’ at some time or other, we have all stood at the side of a dance hall or party with a couple of friends and commented on the others in the room. Elle Fussell, Bonnie Parker and Andrew Thom helped us see the funny side with the direction of Megan Guise.
‘At sea’ is a play for the lovers of the inane. Husband (Matt Prosper) and wife (Erin Hutchinson) like to share a bath together, unfortunately he insists on full wet suits and snorkel when they go for their swim together – in the bath! Unbelievable, but with the subtlety of Clea Jones’ directing and the wonderful acting of Matt and Erin one wonders if we are the people who are missing out!!
Sea’ was my favourites.
Thursday and Saturday (SHOW TWO) ‘The office’ showed how bored some secretarial staff can get whilst working in an office. Hannah Brennan and Alexia Ashwell-Jones found strange and wonderful things to do to lighten their day. Their very shy office friend, Bonnie Parker, quietly joined in. Mischa Ipp is to be congratulated on this humorous piece.
‘Breaking the chain’ shows that those annoying chain letters may be more successful than one thinks. Maybe it is the senders who are the real source of aggravation. Cassie Vagliviello directed this slightly silly story, with Nate Doherty, Hannah Featherston and Nicole DiGregorio LaBianca playing the parts of the lucky couple and their pestered neighbour.
‘The league of semi-super heroes’ tells the tale of a fancy dressed group who hire themselves out for parties and special events – but not surprisingly have not been employed for many months. I felt was the poorest of the whole series. Despite imaginative costumes, a large cast getting into the mad situation it never really took off. I think it is a problem with the initial concept for the play and poor script.
‘One hundred women’ directed by Carly Wood is an insight to the feelings behind two flat mates. Just as the little boy in primary school pulls the hair of the girl that he ‘loves’ in a sad attempt to communicate, then one of the women (Kate Bailey) treats her ‘straight’ flat mate (Deidre Lynam) with apparent contempt, whilst being totally infatuated by her. The script was a little short to create the full mood required for a story like this.
‘What I meant was …’ directed by Kat Shaw, herself a good comedienne, tells of a family where the close and loving relations gradually tell each other their true feelings and thoughts. A very cleverly written and uproarious play with Matt Prosper, Andy Harmsen, Julia Petricevic and Sara Marrocco all at their very best.
Two good fun nights. Some superb plays one or two a little weak.