Paula Pizzi and Bruce MacVittie in Ensemble Studio Theatre's "Face Cream." (Zack Brown)
Things start off with Trickle, the title a reference to the theory of trickle-down economics: If the rich get richer, their wealth and prosperity will trickle down to the middle and lower classes of the economic and social strata.
However, as playwright Kia Corthron makes clear, that is not always the case in the current economic situation. This is illustrated by a series of events whereby the effects of cost cutting at one company results in unemployment and overall loss of income for the middle class and below.
While the play tries to put a human face on this situation, it's hamstrung by characters that are too stereotypical. The long "message" speeches at the beginning and end of the play dampen our interest.
Trickle features Geneva Carr, Shirine Babb, Tatiana Suarez-Picot, Nikki E. Walker, and Jackie Chung. The production is directed by Will Pomerantz and assistant directed by Thomas Layman.
Christine Farrell's For The Love of God, Saint Teresa has no problem in the story department, but it falls short in its execution. The story take place in 1963 in the Epiphany Catholic School where Sister Mary Teresa (Farrell) confronts a 14-year-old pupil Colleen (Lucy DeVito) about the youngster's habit of wearing too much makeup and hairspray and that she let a boy touch her inappropriately.
Colleen, however, gives as good as she gets, accusing the Sister of being little more than a laughing stock around the school. At the same time, the girl begs not to be expelled.
It's difficult to know whether the play is supposed to be a comedy or drama. Also Farrell, who may or may not have written the role for herself, is simply not believable as the Sister, lacking stage presence and the emotional power the part requires. The piece also features Brooke Fulton Myers, with somewhat lackluster direction by Deborah Hedwall.
Garrett M. Brown's Americana fares much better. The work is told in a sort of memory-play format with a sprinkling of "The Twilight Zone" thrown in. Set in a 1958 Connecticut suburb, the evening starts off with 10-year-old Gary (Miles Bergner) recalling the night a man (Chris Ceraso) came to the door selling encyclopedias.
As the salesman goes through his pitch, he, along with Gary's mom and dad (Ann Talman and Michael Cullen), each reveal details about their past and future. Foreboding is present. It seems these characters have done this scene many times before and are fated to do it again and again as a way to stave off the future and what life has in store for them.
What could have been a simple play about a childhood incident becomes, in the capable hands of author Brown and director Linsay Firman, a touching snapshot of a boy's life before he realizes how much growing up can hurt. The entire cast is excellent with special mention going to Cullen and Ceraso.
Next up is the heartfelt PTSD, (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) where director William Carden does a great job bringing Tommy Smith's story to life.
As the story opens, Riles (Haskell King) comes back from a tour of duty in Iraq to his struggling family. His mother, whom he was very close to, has died and his dad (Jay Patterson) is taking care of Riles’s sister Mer (Stephanie Janssen), who had a nervous breakdown and has been receiving electroshock treatments.
Riles, it turns out, carries a lot of pain inside due to his overseas experiences, all of which come spilling out in an encounter with his old girlfriend (Julie Fitzpatrick). The performances are all very good, but it's the story itself and the slow building of tension that draws one into the tale. Especially long periods of silence speak volumes.
The evening ends on a high note with the hilarious comedy Face Cream, by Maggie Bofill, featuring an unnamed middle-aged couple (Bruce MacVittie, Paula Pizzi) getting ready for their daughter's wedding.
The woman is in a major crisis mode revealing, after much prodding and cajoling, that she has run out of her very expensive face cream and can't find another one that works nearly as well. It soon turns out the face cream is actually a symbol for a number of issues she’s going through—such as how her husband never really listens to her and that she's afraid of growing old and being unattractive.
As for the man, he loves his wife dearly; he just sees things mostly in black and white and has no patience for exploring every issue six different ways. MacVittie and Pizzi are perfectly cast, with Pamela Berlin's direction allowing the work to veer seamlessly from comedy to farce, with strong back and forth dialogue, physical action, and occasional musical interludes (choreography by Sid Grant).
Marathon 2009 (Series 'A')
Ensemble Studio Theatre
549 West 52nd Street
Tickets: 212-352-3101 or www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org
Running Time; 2 hours, 30 minutes
Closes: June 19, 2009 (Marathon ends June 27, 2009)
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication, The Stage.
