NY Theater Review: Merrie L. Davis
In this day and age there are so many times you go to the theater only to be disappointed at what is appearing on stage….Well, attending the Collective play festival ten-minute plays was an absolute thought provoking delight.
In the six plays I saw, the overall acting was excellent. The actors ability pulled me in, held my attention, and in some cases truly played on my emotional heartstrings. The settings were quite varied, to say the least; from the front door of a home that would open into a wife swapping exchange, to an active addicts apartment, into the bedroom of dysfunction, onto a Café that housed a hilarious first date, to a Twilight Zone kind of setting in the tallest building around, and culminating in an almost deserted porn theater. These shows all took place in a very cozy, comfortable venue with lightning speed between set changes.
The plays in order of appearance were:
1. Key To My Heart by Peter M. Carozzo, directed by Cassie Freeman, and portrayed with raw emotion by Margaret Champagne as Wendy and Dave Hanson as Simon
2. Quick Fix by Brian Leider, directed by Booker Garrett and Kevin Kane, starring Stephen Vause as Robert and Rich Pecci as Scotty
3. Redmond & Meda by Stephen Hancock, directed by Kristin Wheeler, with Francis Benhamou as Meda and Rodrigo Lopresti as Redmond
4. Café d’Automatique by Dave Hanson, directed by Susan Aston, and laughingly portrayed by Patrick Bonck as Jim, Robert Z Grant as the Waiter and Victoria Dicce as Erin
5. Nothing Is Free by Terry Milner, directed by Rebecca Brillhart, with Joe B. McCarthy as Hendrick and John D’Ornellas as Leonard
6. Rocket Sex by Bob DeRosa, directed by Chris Beetem, starring Rock Kohli as Eddie and Lisa Kicielinski as Madeline
There was an abundance of raw emotions in each play and in most cases there was a surprise as to what was really happening and what the underlying message was.
The writing and presentation was exceptional and they are the kind of plays that you continue talking about “long after the lights go down.”
The Collective Program A & B can be enjoyed at Teatro Circulo, 64 East 4th Street, running through Sunday October 12th Go to their website212-868-4444 or www.Collective10fest.com or call 212 868 – 0444 for tickets or visit www.thecollective‐ny.org check exact dates and times.
