Think again.
I went to the premiere of a theater double-bill yesterday, and let me say I was impressed at the quality of those two indie plays.
The evening is split in two, starting with the inventive and often hilarious OFFICE HOURS, directed by Matt Enos (based on the Norm Foster play). It features many office tableaux, each revealing some facet of the entertainment industry, from the movie studio executive and TV newsroom producer to the horse track manager and the entertainment lawyer. The characters are weird and very well portrayed by the cast. In two hours time, we meet a gigolo studio executive, a fat jockey, a gay lawyer who finally comes out to his parents, a fame-starved movie producer, a sex-depraved psychiatrist and many more...Each of the tableaux has its own character and feel and stands on its own comedically. However, they are all linked by tiny details that, for the most part, are really simple and effective. That being said, the scenes are also very consistent comedically and feel like they really belong together.
Hats down for the director for creating a totally appropriate atmosphere and successfully giving the play a real sense of cohesion. The actors smoothly transition from one role to the other and it's never hard to follow.
Some of the scenes are weaker than others (namely the horse track scene and the opening scene), other are simply hilarious (the last scene, the gay coming out scene, and the movie executive) .
Overall, it's really a fun ride and everyone will find something they like in it...
If you don't laugh at least 10 times in this play, there's something wrong with you !
***
After a 15 minute intermission, I was tired and not so sure I wanted to watch another play. Then NEVER SWIM ALONE hit me in the guts with its fast-paced roller-coaster feast of dialogue and situation comedy. This is simply one of the best comedies I've seen in a while with intelligent mise-en-scene, marvelous dialogues and top-notch acting. It never loses momentum (which isn't something you can say about most comedies).
On paper, this must be a rather boring read, with lots of dialogue and no plot lines whatsoever; but on stage, the words take a superb turn and you enjoy every syllable being pronounced. This is mostly due to the terrific performances of the two leads. One of them (forgot his name, so I'll call him not-matt-enos) struck me as a possible love child of Steve Carell and Christian Bale. Which is a compliment coming from me.
The director ( Anna Springate-Floch) obviously knows her stuff and is pitch-perfect in her depiction of this duel between these two men. It could be read at so many levels. I saw it both as a business life satire a la American Psycho and a depiction of friendship, inner discovery and how futile life can be. As cheesy as this sounds, this is what it felt like - and it felt great!
The play is set up as a fight in 13 rounds as the two lead actors face off verbally as each try to prove their superiority over the other. The actors often go into hilarious monologues and make the audience participate in a weird, voyeurish ways... We feel like we are the ones who should decide who wins each round.
Towards the end, when I expected it the least, the play took a dark twist, that had me feel really uncomfortable (good unconfortable - if such a thing exists). It also made me realize how powerful this play was....
One last node to conclude - I'd like to mention the cute and reserved referee, in a radiant blue bathing suit. She ties the play together and feels more like she's part of us, the audience. The Actress' performance was very well tempered and she understood how to stay clear of the spotlight (literally and metaphorically). But whenever she would step in the light, she had the cutest smile and a most eery presence (strange combination). She may just be a moderator but somehow it just seems that it was all about her....
Office Hours / Never Swim Alone - A Jubilee Theater Production - July 11-14 and 17-21 8PM - Atwater Library - tickets on admission.com
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