Summer Shorts Series B

B-

The 11th edition of the Festival of New American Short Plays continues at 59E59 Theater with its second evening of Summer Shorts.

Each play in Series B offers a critique of a social institution, specifically the Church, the big wedding and big sports.  

In A Woman by Chris Cragin-Day, we meet Kim (Jennifer Ikeda; Linda and Vietgone) and Cliff (Mark Boyett), Kim’s longtime friend and recently arrived pastor, as they address the issue of whether women should be allowed to serve as church elders. It’s very low key and director Kel Haney respects that.

Lindsey Kraft and Andrew Leeds put the “bash” in Wedding Bash. When newlyweds Lonny (Donovan Mitchell) and Dana (Rachel Napoleon), who think their wedding was the greatest ever, invite friends Alan (Andy Powers) and Edi (Georgia Ximenes Lifsher) over for dinner, they get some surprising feedback. It has some very funny moments and a few wry observations about the place of weddings in our culture. I wish the satire had been pumped up a few notches. J.J. Kandel, Festival founder, directed.

The final play, written and directed by Festival stalwart Neil Labute (Reasons To Be Pretty), brings us to the world of professional tennis. Two players, superstar Oliver (John Garrett Greer) and the less successful Stan (Keilyn Durrel Jones) are about to meet in the semifinals of the French Open. They have an extended verbal volley during which some unattractive aspects of pro tennis (or any pro sport) come to the fore. 

All three plays are very well acted. Rebecca Lord-Surratt’s simple set makes effective use of shoji screens. Amy Sutton’s costumes are fine.

It’s a pleasant enough evening, but if you only have time for one program, I suggest seeing Series A instead.

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

The Recommendation ***

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
Jonathan Caren's modern moral tale, first produced at the Old Globe in San Diego, takes on big themes, such as race, class, envy, friendship, loyalty, trustworthiness and ingratitude. The play, now at The Flea's tiny downstairs theater, is narrated by Iskinder Iudoku (James Fouhey), who, with his half-Ethiopian half-Caucasian parentage, doesn't know quite where he belongs. In his freshman year at Brown, his roommate is Aaron Feldman (Austin Trow), wealthy, popular, privileged, self-absorbed, whose sense of entitlement is boundless. He takes Iskinder under his wing, gives him a taste of the good life, and gets his father to write Iskinder a recommendation for law school. They both end up in LA, Iskinder at a white-shoe law firm and Aaron as a filmmaker's assistant. When Aaron is stopped by the police for a broken taillight, he is arrested on an outstanding warrant and thrown in jail where he meets Dwight Barnes (Barron B. Bass), a fast-talking second offender who offers Aaron protection in jail in return for his promise of legal assistance. Five years later, against Aaron's wishes, Iskinder has written an appeal that wins Dwight's release from prison. Iskinder's letter of recommendation helps Dwight land a job at Aaron's health club, where there is a final melodramatic confrontation. The play is flawed, especially in the over-formulaic second act, but it is ambitious, energetic and very well-performed. Caile Hevner Kemp's extremely simple set makes good use of the wide, shallow stage. Sydney Maresca's costumes are apt. Kel Haney's direction is fine. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes including intermission.