THE BEST OF PLAYGROUND 13: A FESTIVAL OF NEW WRITERS & NEW PLAYS!

THE BEST OF PLAYGROUND 13: A FESTIVAL OF NEW WRITERS & NEW PLAYS!

THICK HOUSE 1695 18th Street, SF. www.playground-sf.org or 415.401.8081

Seven original short plays staged by the Bay Area's best budding playwrights.

Thu-Sat 8pm • Sun 7pm — THRU MAY 31.

EXPECTATIONS EXCEEDED AS PLAYGROUND HAS ANOTHER WINNER(S)

Playground starts with of a group first time or early stage playwrights and established professional actors and directors. The writers are given a topic on Friday and must write a script in three days. The purpose is to support the development of significant new local voices for the theatre with particular focus on the ten-minute play. Of the 36 submissions, seven were chosen for a full production using Equity actors and directors. In this 13^th year of its inception the productions showcase the budding talents (in order they are staged) Ken Slattery, Kenn Rabin, Evelyn Jean Pine, Erin Bregman, Daniel Heath, Geetha Reddy and Aaron Loeb.

The stimulus for the curtain raiser Truffaldino Says No by Ken Slattery was the noun “arlecchino” which is the Italian word for harlequin the most popular comic servant character from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte. Using all seven-ensemble actors (Soren Oliver, Aaron Wilton, Cindy Goldfield, Danielle Levin, Lisa Morse, Michael Phillis and Brian Herndon) dressed in marvelous costumes, director Chris Smith, former artistic director for the Magic Theatre, whips up a hilarious froth. Truffaldino (Wilton) tells his father, the arlecchino (Oliver); enough is enough and says “No” to be part of the commedia. Wilton and Oliver deserve most of the credit for the laughs but a surprise twist of who wins handsome Flavio’s (Phillis) or Isabella”s (Morse) love draws an understanding laugh from the audience.

If you limit the definition of “arlecchino” to “harlequin” you can conjecture that John Jacob O'Reilly Smitherton’s Bid to Save the World by Erin Bregman fits the mold. Two diverse personality roommates Lydia (Morse) and Rachel (Levin) are feuding when the melodious voice of Jacob (Wilton), a handsome troubadour transforms them into bosom buddies. Wealthy Smitherton (Oliver) wonders how much money he needs to bring peace to the world and sends his devoted servant Karen (Goldfield) out into the world. She hears the voice of Jacob, enlists him in Smitherton’s quest by taking him around the world, thus transforming millions into a peaceful enclave. Music truly does soothe the savage beast?

Seen by Evelyn Jean Pine does not seem to be a product of “arlecchino.” However, it is a taut dramatic piece that begins with a sexual romp between Daphne (Levin) and Gary (Phillis), followed by full frontal nudity and very cogent light banter that turns serious differentiating the words nude and naked. The nude Gary is stripped psychologically naked as Daphne exposes (pardon the pun) his psyche.

The two-hander Gymnopedia #1 by Kenn Rabin derives from the suggestion “the impossible dream.” The Gymnopédies are three piano compositions written by French composer and pianist, Erik Satie. Charles (Herndon), a middle-aged music appreciation professor notices that a very attractive young student, Melissa (Morse) attends every class he teaches. If she is not registered for the session, she audits the class. Does he dare dream that she is stalking me? The answer is yes. The dream becomes a reality with unexpected consequence as Gymnopedia #1 plays in the background.

Least satisfying and a bit obtuse, Wednesday by Daniel Heath, written around the theme of “palindrome” explore the “sameness” of married life with an emphasis that after years of marriage on each Wednesday is the same as every Wednesday.

Net is a gem on the theme of the longest night. Wilton as Alfonso bent on suicide and Oliver as Stuart, a guard, with an impeccable record of preventing people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge give charming bittersweet life to Geetha Reddy’s writing. The time is the near future. There is a net constructed under the GG Bridge and alas Alfonso has leaped, not knowing of the net, and lies there entangled. The actual ten minutes of the script truly defines a “longest night.”

Aaron Loeb (the writer of smash hits First Person Shooter and Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party seen at the SF Playhouse) should not be considered s a first time or early stage playwright. He is well on his way to fame giving him an unfair advantage in the competition. In All Thumbs, he takes the theme of “adaptation of a Fairytale” to great heights and I suggest he submit it to Actor Theatre of Louisville’s ten-minute play contest where it would be a sure winner. The ensemble under Tracy Wards astute direction, dressed in fairytale costumes to die for (Lisa Lowe), has a ball with this hilarious yet heart touching variation of Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina.”

All the short plays are well worth a visit to the Thick House and I plan to return to ascertain if I missed any of the nuances or laughs. Running time less than 2 hours with intermission. Get on the phone and reserve a ticket.

Recap: John Jacob O'Reilly Smitherton's Bid to Save the World by Erin Bregman, directed by Jim Kleinmann

Wednesday by Daniel Heath, directed by Barbara Oliver

All Thumbs by Aaron Loeb, directed by Tracy Ward

Seen by Evelyn Jean Pine, directed by Amy Mueller

Gymnopedie #1 by Kenn Rabin, directed by Molly Noble

Net by Geetha Reddy, directed by Mark Routhier

Truffaldino Says No by Ken Slattery, directed by Chris Smith

Ensemble: Cindy Goldfield*, Brian Herndon*, Danielle Levin*, Lisa Morse*, Soren Oliver*, Michael Phillis, Aaron Wilton*

* Member, Actors' Equity Association

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine.