In The Mood for Love?

With Valentine's Day approaching, many of us turn our thoughts to couplehood-- which includes love, of course, and often much more.

Cora Bissett as Helena with Matthew Pidgeon as Bob in "Midsummer [a play with songs]" by David Grieg, who also directs with songs by Gordon McIntyre. Costumes by Georgia McGuiness. at the Clurman. Photo by Douglas Robertson 

Each year, Carol Tambor heads to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to sample the unusual and find the play she deems to be "Best of Edinburgh." The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation then presents the play thus designated to New York audiences. Last year the work was "Leo" (See review on these pages.)  This year, "Midsummer [a play with songs]"by David Grieg, who also directs, at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre through January 26th, shares the Award with "Mies Julie," currently running at St. Ann's Warehouse.

"Midsummer [a play with songs]" is an early Valentine's gift from Ms Tambor to us. In "Midsummer [a play with songs]" romance is a by-product of a quest.  

Searching for meaning in booze, sex and bondage (it's a long story!), Helena (Cora Bissett) and Bob (Matthew Pidgeon) find something far more valuable-- friendship and ₤15,000.

When they meet, Bob is reading "Dostoyevsky... to cheer himself up." Despite his overtly intellectual endeavors, Bob is "a f****** underachiever." Their match-up is improbable. He is a low to mid level crook, and she's a swanky divorce lawyer.

Photo by Douglas Robertson. Helena (Cora Bissett) and Bob (Matthew Pidgeon) in "Midsummer [a play with songs]" by David Grieg, who also directs with songs by Gordon McIntyre. Costumes by Georgia McGuiness.

"Midsummer [a play with songs]" is not for everyone. Love and romance mingles with philosophical asides and silliness in this not strictly linear tale. Songs are interspersed with the narrative and dialogue. "And so-- when you see them -- the runners," Helena says, "weaving and glistening through the crowds-- you might think, 'look at them, the fools, they're trying to run away from death,' -- but they're not-- they're honestly not-- they're running towards something...."

The central bed is the all-purpose set, cleverly designed by Georgia McGuiness, which also has convenient storage for some of the props the actors need.

Photo by Douglas Robertson of Matthew Pidgeon as Bob and Cora Bissett as Helena in "Midsummer [a play with songs]" by David Grieg, who also directs with songs by Gordon McIntyre. Costumes by Georgia McGuiness. 

While you're in a romantic mood, take your sweetie to see "Perfect Catch," being reprised at Canal Park Playhouse on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 4pm through February.

"Perfect Catch," billed as "Throw-mantic Comedy"  takes mime and juggling to Hollywood. Just watching
Jen Slaw and Michael Karas toss umbrellas to the soundtrack of "Singing In The Rain" is worth the price of admission.

To get tickets for "Midsummer [a play with songs]," visit www.telecharge.com. To learn more about "Perfect Catch," visit www.canalparkplayhouse.com

Throwing her voice, or throwing apples, either way, beguiling

It's all about love and juggling!

Perfect Catch,billed as "Throw-mantic Comedy" at Canal Park Playhouse through November 27th, follows the formula set by Hollywood for romantic comedies. Boy and girl meet, but they don't really like each other and, then suddenly, something happens to spark an interest, and finally, they are in the throes of an endearing love.

Jen Slaw and Michael Karas are jugglers who conduct their romance in near-complete silence, except for a timeless soundtrack. The pop 40s, some of them from the 40s, include some wonderfully quirky renditions of the standards like "Mister Sandman," "It Had to Be You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "9 to 5" and "Fernando's Hideaway."

The juggling umbrellas set to "Singing in the Rain" create a little peril for our lovely duo, he a little nerdy, she poised and glamorous.

Meanwhile, Nina Conti does an altogether different brand of throwing.
She is a world renowned ventriloquist enjoying her United States debut in "Nina Conti Talk to the Hand" at 59E59 Theaters in the Brits Off Broadway festivities for one week only through November 13th.

Nina Conti with her several character puppets has won awards for comedy from the BBC and the Barry Comedy Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Be warned, this is not a child-friendly show. Not that there's anything wrong with children. You may want to keep them away from the X-rated shenanigans of Monkey. Nina Conti is attractive and charming, and has a disarming way of laughing at the jokes she is about to tell through her puppets.

For more information on "Perfect Catch" go to www.canalparkplayhouse.com
For tickets for "Nina Conti Talk to the Hand" visit www.59e59.org or BritsOffBroadway.com

Actors' Revenge and Other Clowning

Eugene O'Neill ("The Iceman Cometh," "Long Day's Journey into Night," "Mourning Becomes Electra" etc.)is not known for inspiring chuckles but the New York Neo-Futurists (Neos) know how to get guffaws out of tough material.

In fact, you might think of "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," at The Kraine Theatre through extended to October 1st, 8th as the actor's revenge on a playwright loath to allow anyone to mess with his vision. It is said that O'Neill would have preferred to have his plays just read, not acted, and his elaborate stage directions suggest an obsessive desire to micro-manage all aspects in the performance of his work.

With "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," the Neos continue the tradition they started in the mid '90s of "embracing chance, change and chaos."

The cast, six enactors, -- Danny Burman, Brendan Donaldson, Cara Francis, Connor Kalista (not pictured,) Erica Livingston, and Lauren Sharpe, --and
a narrator, Jacquelyn Landgraf (also not pictured), are inventive and lively.

Photo © Anton Nickel  

"The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," adapted and directed by Christopher Loar, compiled from seven early O'Neill works, features narrated stage directions which lead the ensemble to scramble, reassemble props, strike poses, fall onto seats, and make their exits.

There is no O'Neill script for the Neos to follow, but they elicit hysterical laughter while depicting O'Neill's descriptions of action, character (in both senses of the word.)

The cast entertain by making nuanced adjustments to capture expressions, gestures, even sighs. "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays" is exhilirating and giddy.

For more on "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," and the Neos work, please visit http://www.nyneofuturists.org/
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The Other Clowning: Jaime Carswell and Nancy Trotter Landry, under the direction of Pablo Ibarluzea are "Cirque De Legume"

It's the leeks, carrots, beets, onions, artichoke, lettuce and hot peppers that give these circus artists, Jaime Carswell and Nancy Trotter Landry, their name. They are "Cirque De Legume!"

"Cirque De Legume," at 59E59 Theaters, as part of the citywide 1st Irish Festival, through October 2nd, hail from London by way of Paris' respected "clown school"--Ecole Jacques Lecoq. Jaime Carswell and Nancy Trotter Landry enter to rollicking big tent music and great fanfare.

Photo © Mark Fearon  

After their big entrance, they seem ill-at-ease, and the rest of the performance is dedicated to challenging the audience. "How about that?" is their refrain after every trick. "Cirque De Legume" ise delicious slight-of-hand, and acrobatics in their successful effort to please the crowd.
They add a sports metaphor to their routine when she spells out C-I-R-Q-U-E... and they bump chests.

Training a barking lettuce named "Dusty" to jump for a carrot is just the opening number in this manic and charming show.

Visit www.59E59.org
for a schedule of performances. Also see what else is taking place during the 1st Irish Festival at http://www.1stirish.org/