Craving" and "Dancing in the Garden" FringeNYC 2011
9/14 – “Craving” (FringeNYC Show Written and Performed by Delphine Brooker. Directed by Doug Curtis and Heather Moore. 9/14 – “Dancing in the Garden” (FringeNYC Show) Written by Michael Walker. Directed by Bruce Ward.
The remaining two performances in the Sunday August 14 Round-Up are plays about life journeys: one from illness to health; the other a journey for acceptance by a church which considers her a sinner.
Delphine Brooker’s solo performance deals with her journey from anorexia and bulimia to a place where healing might begin. “Craving,” directed by Doug Curtis and Heather Moore, is a one hour rehearsal of all that Ms. Brooker has experienced in her variety of battles with an illness often created out of a craving for personal control. Although the subject of the performance piece is not original, Brooker tackles it mostly with a freshness and intensity which pushes the audience to confront their own struggles with their own sicknesses unto death. I would like to have seen fewer encounters with degenerate males and more scenes where she unmasks her struggles to be in control, authentic control, with her parents, her friends, and her acquaintances. When she is not in control of the normal vicissitudes of life, the only control she has is what goes into her mouth and what comes out of her stomach.
Brooker’s performance is genuine and transparent: she allows her audience into her struggle. Be sure to see this important show. Bring a friend. Bring your struggle and get ready to change.
Michael Walker’s “Dancing in the Garden” showcases another journey: the journey of a young Massachusetts lesbian to understanding her relationship with her beloved Roman Catholic parish and its priest Father Mike. Although the script is overwritten (this should be a one-act play), the performance given by Sarah Corey is worth the visit and the price of the ticket. She works with the script with authenticity and skill. Her scenes with Joe Gioco as her father are truly wonderful, including the scene where father and daughter predict how Father Mike will react when he deals with Maria’s sexual status.
The difficulty with the script is its insistence that Maria continue to long to be part of the Roman Catholic Church. This is just not believable. Her local priest feigns unconditional love; however, the harsh fact is that Maria and all lesbian and gay parishioners are persona non grata. When one is baptized into the church universal, one is eligible for all the orders the church offers. Despite Father Mike’s gratuitous invitations to Mass, the church will never truly accept Maria into its fold. Why would a strong character like Maria (who leaves her lover to care for her father) accept second-class citizenship in a homophobic and oppressive institution?
Despite this, there are wonderful performances, wonderful word plays (sign, signage) and wonderful lines. When Maria discovers that “God knew who she was before she was born,” she truly claims victory, not when Father Mike condescends to accept her into his precious fold.
Tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased online at www.fringenyc.org by phone at 866-468-7619 up to 24 hours before the performance, in person at FringeCENTRAL (1 East 8th Street at Fifth Avenue). Tickets are $18.00 at the door and can be purchased 15 minutes before each performance (cash only) at Venue #18 Studio at Cheery Lane Theatre and Venue #6 The Living Theatre.
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Monday, August 15, 2011
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