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Sometimes, 10 minutes is too long
(by Herb Hammer - July 15, 2009)
THEATER, BY HERB HAMMER
Sometimes, 10 minutes is too long
Chagrin Valley Little Theatre has gone out on a limb. The theater is staging 10 plays with each one 10 minutes long. All are brand new. The theater is placing them on its River Street Playhouse stage. Packaging all of these plays together in two acts, they have titled it "The 10-10 Festival."
Trying to develop characters and some sort of plot in the space of 10 minutes is a nearly impossible task. The quality here ranges from the very good to the very amateurish. It's easy to punch holes in any one of them.
The best is Noell Wolfgram Evans' "Afterparty." Here the playwright has packed an entire play, plot, characters and all, into a tiny wisp of time.
Jack, played by John Busser, and Ann, played by Corinne Halberg, have just returned from a baby shower where John was tossed out for calling the baby ugly. But that's not the plot at all. As it turns out, Ann is not his wife but is John's mistress. His wife is somewhere else. Then John gets around to telling Ann that he's seeing someone else. Now he has two mistresses and a wife. Mr. Busser and Miss Halberg are excellent, while both appear to be having a great time knowing that this little play is outstanding.
Next, two actors appear to be somewhere outside after doing a messed-up production of "Waiting for Godot." George Freek calls his work "After Godot."
As Vladimar, played by Mark DePompei, the actor blames himself for the deadly production. Estragon, played by Noah Budin, tries desperately to console him. All this works quite well until Lucky, played by Lisa Tarr, enters and kills off Vladimar's remaining dignity and, in turn, kills the play.
A touching story called "Let me Tell you Something," by Jonathan Wilhelm, places Mr. Lucetta, played by Don Edelman, with Angela, played by Natalie Dolezal, in an amusement park or carnival. Her boyfriend has won a stuffed animal and is heading back to get a funnel cake. Mr. Lucetta knows the girl and asks her about her great-aunt. It appears they had a love affair many years earlier. Mr. Lucetta's advice to the young girl sets her on the right path as she goes on with her life. Good stuff here. Miss Dolezal and Mr. Edelman are exceptional.
These short plays are the best of the lot, but trouble lies ahead. Robert Fortlage's "A Walk in the Park" gives us an elderly couple sitting on a park bench reminiscing. The story goes nowhere, and, though it intends to be touching, it isn't.
Domenick Danza's "When you Lose a Friend" is a highly predictable story about a man with a living, breathing computer lady who does everything for him. The power goes out, and the computer quits. There's not much here. Mr. Danza has done better work.
There's one science fiction play about an evil corporation that's quite boring even in 10 minutes.
Another has two actors who play bugs, probably cicadas, infatuated with girl cicadas. This one could use some laughs, but none are forthcoming.
Still another called "Girl Story," with two men watching a baseball game, is a bit of a disaster.
A touching start to "The Bachelor," somewhat clever but all wrong.
"Two for Tea," by Susan Apker and beautifully played by Winnie Kovacik, plays nicely until its poorly conceived ending.
Some actors play several roles and are excellent in the better plays and appear silly in the weaker ones.
Director Yvonne Pilarczyk and Don Knepper do the best they can but seem stymied at times not knowing quite what to do.
As the evening staggers to its conclusion, you find that 10 short plays, some written by questionable playwrights, makes a shaky evening of theater.
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