THIS DAY FORWARD @ The Vineyard Theater

The Vineyard Theatre’s newest installation, This Day Forward, is one show that certainly makes you think. Written by Nicky Silver (Pterodactyls, The Lyons) it is not your typical love story; in fact, it is the lack of love that really is the star of this show.

Set in both 1958 and 2004, the story centers around Irene’s (Holley Fain) love life. The play begins in 1958, in a swank hotel (with trimmings that seriously make me consider hiring scenic designer, Allen Moyer, to re-do my place), on Irene and Martin’s (Michael Crane) wedding night.  We immediately are drawn in by Fain’s excellent portrayal of a nervous, fidgety and distressed newlywed.  After skirting around for awhile, she finally admits to Martin that she is not in love with him, but instead, is in love with Emil (Joe Tippett), a loud-mouth, brash, gas station attendant she has been forbidden from dating by her mother.  Martin, in obvious disbelief, begins to question her about the relationship and why she decided to wait until AFTER their wedding to share this information.  Irene explains how the two became acquainted, their subsequent break-up and how Emil was on his way over to pick up Irene after she had seen him earlier that morning.  Emil arrives and the three hash it out in the hotel room. The men decide to fight for the right for Irene.  While they “take it outside,” Irene is given love advice from Melka (June Gable), the polish immigrant hotel maid, who was in a similar situation.  She cautions her from following her heart, as it did not work out in her favor, and urges her to stay with a man who can take care of her and give her the material things she desires.  Martin finally returns and with her mind made up, Irene chooses to forgo Melka’s advice and go with love over material wealth and leaves to meet up with Emil.

The second act begins in a totally redesigned space (and again, Moyer’s design of a chic New York apartment makes me question if I could pull that off in suburbia).  Major kudos to the run crew who successfully took apart an entire stage in the time it took to check my Facebook.  The story begins with Crane, now playing Noah, with his boyfriend, Leo (Andrew Burnap) in a beautiful NYC apartment in 2004.  Leo is stressed out because his estranged mother is coming after being picked up by the police at JFK Airport after seemingly having an Alzheimer’s episode.  We then meet Noah’s sister, Sheila (Francesca Faridany) who explains just how bad it is living with her mother.  When their mother arrives, we realize it is Irene (now played by June Gable), many years later.  We learn that even though we saw her exit to follow her heart to be with Emil in Act I, she still wound up with Martin, lived a miserable life with all of the amenities a 20th-century woman could want.  This misery trickled down into her children, who both have sabotaged relationships, unstable lives and an affinity for feeling like they were generally unwanted.  The play closes with Irene seemingly talking to a ghostly Emil, in which we learn he never met with her that night.  Feeling like he was unable to provide her the life she wanted, he decided it was best to let her stay with Martin.  

It is in the final moments that this play really shines.  Taking on the concept of how failed love shapes people is not something many have done before.  Silver does a phenomenal job of making you think about following your heart without being cheesy.  Personally experiencing this show with someone who has been divorced was an added treat, as for her, it gave her some closure in her decisions.  You can never know what the future holds for you, but this play truly shows you that by playing it safe and not trusting your heart, you may be able to survive, but the life you lead will be riddled with misery, melancholy and general unhappiness that is felt by EVERYONE around you.  This will then affect the choices they make for the rest of their lives, causing this cycle to never end.  

Playing now through Dec. 18th, this is one show you do not want to miss.  Besides the kudos given above, a sincere salute to those cast members that played dual roles. Taking on the challenge of playing two completely different characters and making it believable can be difficult, but the cast makes it appear effortless.  For tickets and information, please visit www.vineyardtheatre.org and be sure to check out the lower lobby for added touches that make the play come alive.

Review By: Renee Demaio
Photos By: Julieta Cervantes 

CrediJulieta Cervantes

Indecent @ The Vineyard Theater

It’s a rarity that when one sees a play, one is touched on every level and every sensory organ satiated. But when you are talking about religion, forbidden sex and theatre history- what else does one need?

Indecent by Paul Vogel and Rebecca Taichman over at the Vineyard Theatre is nothing short of absolute brilliance. The audience communally sat in awe- laughing quickly at every nuance and sharing heartbreak as it came, which culminated to us leaping to our feet at the final blackout.

Indecent is based on a true story : the development of Yiddish playwright Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance in early 1900s Poland. We see the play’s origins (first table read, assembly of cast, its performances around Europe) and how it takes flight all the way to NYC where the actors are arrested for the controversial content in its edits. They had no playwright to defend them because he hid away in shame that he could not learn English to defend his play. Lemmi, the stage manager and the hero of the story, takes the acting troupe back home and unfortunately back to a Nazi ridden land. They try to keep the play alive in attics and act for food, but are taken during act 2, the controversial love scene between the two girls. The ending could rip your heart out when we see what happens to each of these characters. But you’ll have to see it for yourself, as its painful to write on.

The cast is exceptional. Richard Topol acts as the narrator of his story, weaving us seamlessly through moment to moment of the story, all the while knowing his recollection of that “blink in time.” Adina Verson plays a few different carnations of the female lead flawlessly, simply accenting them with a scarf or sweater, but drastically stepping into different personas. Katrina Lenk, Verson’s lover, was stunning and captivating in every single move she made.

The director by co-creator Rebecca Taichman perfectly embodied the piece’s humor, history and vaudevillian homage to the times. Christopher Akerlind’s lighting design was particularly amazing; creating shadows and intimacy all the while maintaining the aesthetic of old playhouses. Super smart indeed. Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva’s music moved the story along, as the actors danced and moved the set pieces.

A play with this much heart and history needs an audience and begs to be heard. We say time and time again “history repeats itself,” and we do all we can to prevent it. This play not only shows an inside look of the Holocaust and the Jewish people, but prolonged censorship in the theatre.  We are so fortunate to see all we see without anyone stifling our voice. Go downtown and hear the voices over at the Vineyard. Learn our history.

Review By: Brittany Goodwin

Photos By:  Carol Rosegg

Dot @ The Vineyard Theater

Director Susan Stroman brought Colman Domingo’s Dot to the Vineyard Theatre stage with an expertise that I find admirable. Dot offers social commentary on a family’s struggle with disease, midlife crisis, gay issues, unrequited love, a modern exploration into African American middle class family and even spoke to immigration issues.

The scene opens in modern day West Philadelphia within the kitchen of the Shealy house. Scenic Designer Allen Moyer created a very clever stage with a projector overlaying the brownstone the family resided in, opening up to a superbly made kitchen complete with a working stove and later living room set with a beautiful Christmas tree. The house has an outdated 1970s-esque feel and both Moyer, Sound Designer Tom Morse and Lighting Designer Ben Stanton worked well together in bringing the set to life for the cast.

Mrs. Shealy, or Dotty, to those who know her well, is played by Marjorie Johnson. Johnson took into consideration just how Alzheimer’s and its internal struggle can personify. She created an affable, relatable and captivating character that pulled the audience in from her first line.

Dotty’s eldest, Shelly (Sharon Washington) is her main caretaker. Shelly’s internal and external battle with caring for a mother that is slowly losing her memories was crafted and woven into the story. Washington delivered this internal dialogue with hilarity.

Shelly’s gay brother, Donnie (Stephen Conrad Moore) and his husband Adam (Colin Hanlon) enter the house for the holidays and it only increases the heightened familial tension over the change in their mother.

Moore personifies the child-like strife we all seem to face when we realize that our parents can indeed grow older and fade from us. Meanwhile, Hanlon brings the tensions of marriage to the surface. Both characters enhance the seriousness as well as the amusement of the play.

On the other hand, Jackie (Finnerty Steeves) is the next door neighbor who’s just returned from New York City. Steeves is facing quite the midlife crisis while still struggling to accept that her high school sweetheart, Donnie, is gay. Trust me, this only added more laughter.

The youngest sibling, Averie (Libya V. Pugh) was all loud, proud, and brought an inner city flair to the stage. An aspiring artist with some YouTube success, Pugh pulled the commentary into the realm of consistent comic relief from the serious nature of Alzheimer’s.

Fidel (Michael Rosen), the aid for Dotty, is an immigrant from Kazakhstan who easily blended with the cast and brought more light to life for immigrants in our country and their difficulty with assimilation.

Overall, Dot is compelling, heartfelt and highly entertaining. The chemistry of the cast is contagious and with so much going on in our country today we sometimes forget about family and how difficult growing older can be and just how much intersection we face in our daily lives. Wonderfully written and expertly performed, Dot is absolutely worth a visit to the theatre.

Review By: Alex Lipari
Photos By: Carol Rosegg

Gigantic @ The Acron Theatre @ Theatre Row

Beginning its journey in 2009 at the NYMPF as Fat Camp, Gigantic has finally landed off-Broadway with the Vineyard Theatre at The Acorn, and it is a huge enjoyment. This musical about a group of teenagers at Southern Pennsylvania’s number 3 weight-loss camp is an absolute joy, that will have you laughing the entire night. 

            Robert (Max Wilcox) is sent off to fat camp, with only one goal in his sight- to get kicked out. That is, until he meets Taylor (Ryann Redmond), and there may be, just may be, a love connection. The two, along with their other fellow campers must work hard to meet Camp Overton’s weight-loss goal so they won’t be shut down and turned into storage units; but they have to face heartbreak, make-out sessions, a “candy ring”, and some hot-headed cheerleaders and new Junior Counselor Brent to get there.

            Scott Schwartz’s (Bat Boy, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) direction is nothing short of wonderful. He knows exactly how to extract as much whimsy out of each moment, while maintaining its soul and truthfulness. The music by Matthew roi Berger is pop/rock glory, reflecting the real music that these teens would be listening to, is huge and undeniably joyous, filling everyone with the urge to move and dance. Randy Blair and Tim Drucker’s book creates a colorful cast of characters, each with different quirks. While a show about overweight teenagers at a fat camp feels like it could be contrived or mean-spirited it is far from it. Each character is looked at with sincerity and it is absolutely endearing to see this group of misfits as they work together, learn to accept themselves, and love their individualities. 

Aptly, Gigantic is the epitome of a “campy” show- it has no problem with exploiting the ridiculousness of some of the situations or exaggerating obvious punch lines while adding a curveball. Some of the funniest moments come when the characters go meta, like acknowledging that they can’t sing after screeching in attempt or when getting to the titular song stopping all action to point out this fact. Its over-the-top nature is done in a way that it is nothing but pure fun. The show knows it’s campy and isn’t afraid to use that to its advantage, and it is done so with heart and a whole lot of humor, making for a great 2 and a half hours. Even when entering the theatre, you are greeted with a station to write cards to home as if you were at camp, complete with “Hello, my name is ___” nametags, putting you directly in the spirit of the show.

            The cast is truly what makes this piece so entertaining and sweet. Everyone plays their part expertly, each adding a different layer of fun. Ryann Redmond’s (If/Then, Bring it On) Taylor is the heart of the show, as you cheer her along on her journey and revel in the beauty of her vocals. Comedic standouts come from Katie Ladner (Heathers) as Britta and Leslie Kritzer (Legally Blonde) as camp counselor Sandy. Kritzer’s timing and energy is positively infectious, with just the right amount of over-the-top for the kooky counselor. Ladner, as super douche Brent’s “loser” sister, steals the show every moment she is on stage. Her facial expressions and inflections (complete with a metal mouthpiece) were perfectly crafted to get as many laughs as possible and the audience ate every bit of it up.

            From the first moment the curtain dropped and the music blared to the last sweet seconds of bows a huge smile was plastered on my face. If you’re looking for a feel-good musical that will keep you laughing, run over to The Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row before Gigantic ends its run on December 20. (You might get the last contraband Butterfinger!).

Review By: April Sigler

Photos By: Chad Batka

Gloria @ The Vineyard Theater

Are you a recent college graduate trying to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life? Or are you in your late twenties working for a company not sure about the career path you are taking? Or are you in your forties well into your career and realize this isn’t the life you want? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to make your way to The Vineyard Theatre and see, Gloria.

If you answered no to any of these questions, still go see this play, its THAT good!

Before I praise the actors I must praise the playwright, Branden Jacobs- Jenkins. What seems like a typical story about a couple twenty somethings trying to figure out life turns into so much more. From the effortless banter, and quick pace wit, I was taken on an emotional roller coaster.  Branden Jacobs- Jenkins’ script at first makes you feel like its ok to be lost and not sure about where life is taking you and then takes a brutal turn and makes you question if you would be able to live with your choices.

Direction by Evan Cabnet was simplistic and near perfection. The staging of this production was fantastic, and that’s hard to do when most of the set is cubicles. It seems like basic theatre knowledge that directors would use levels, but in this production it seemed so naturalistic and creative. It also helps that the sets were absolutely stunning, and so detailed, that it would have been like a playground working in that space.

Now lets talk about the amazing cast. This production really is an ensemble piece, and it was so entertaining to watch how everyone played of each other and how their relationships developed. Again I can’t stress enough how simplistic this production was. It was so refreshing to watch actors listen and react to each other. Everything was raw and realistic.

Ryan Spahn, who played Dean, gave such a moving performance. I went from believing this guy is a jerk; to he’s just a slacker, to rooting for him. He gave such a balanced performance with his comedic timing, to his powerful and saddening aftermath in act two. Catherine Combs, who portrayed Ani, is effortless. She has a presences that is unforgettable. I found myself watching her when she was just listening to her fellow actors. Jennifer Kim gives so much life to her character Kendra. Her comedic timing is perfection, and her bantering and rants are hysterical, and hit home because most of what she says is the sad truth. Kyle Beltran who plays the quiet intern Miles, is anything but quiet. He might have not said much in the first act, but I was always aware of where he was. He also shows impressive character work in the second act. Jeanine Serralles plays Gloria, and she managed to make me laugh, scream, and so scared I had to close my eyes for a second. Michael Crane played the sad character Lorin. He managed to give a hysterical performance but it turn into one of the saddest story lines.

This show will make you feel almost every emotion possible. It makes you think, ask questions, and truly figure out what you want out of life. I didn’t want it to end, and with that, I will see it again because… its THAT good!

Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Carol Rosegg

Brooklynite @ The Vineyard Theater

This electrifying world-premiere musical helmed by director Michael Mayer (Hedwig And The Angry Inch, Spring Awakening), with music and lyrics by Peter Lerman (winner of the Jonathan Larson Award), book by Peter Lerman and Michael Mayer, and choreography by Steven Hoggett (Once, American Idiot) will be a must-see theatrical event. In Brooklynite, Trey Swieskowski is an idealistic hardware store clerk who dreams of becoming a superhero. Astrolass, Brooklyn's most celebrated superhero, is determined to throw in the cape and live like a normal Brooklynite. When they meet they hatch a plan that will change their lives forever. But can they save Brooklyn when it suddenly teeters on the brink of disaster? Brooklynite is inspired by the real Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company located in Park Slope, with characters created by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman.

Brooklynite also offers a chance to check in with some familiar talents and discover new ones. Cordero, the bullseye of Bullets Over Broadway, is delightful here, as is the veteran Ann Harada in a number of small roles. Doyle is sweet and disarming, though his voice sometimes sounds a little thin, and Robinson, who has few stage credits, is fantastic. She may have superpowers of her own.

The rest of the super heroes Gerard Canonico, Andrew Call, & Grace McLean were a well oiled machine that made you want to laugh and love this group of misfit heroes. The rest of the ensemble was hardly your ordinary ensemble, each person developed a quirky and honest character just to round out an already stunning cast!

Brooklynite opened at The Vineyard Theater on February 25 2015 and plays through March 29th, 2015. Hurry up and get your tickets for this Broadway ready performance. 
Review By: James Russo
Photos By: Carol Rosegg