"Ticket 2 Eternity" at The New York International Fringe Festival
“Ticket 2 Eternity” By Matthew Ethan Davis Directed by Javier Perez-Karam Reviewed by David Roberts Theatre Reviews Limited
The ensemble cast bristles with energy as Dan (Laris Macario) struggles with the vicissitudes of fame in Matthew Ethan Davis’s surreal (often absurdist) “Ticket 2 Eternity” currently playing at the Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre as part of the New York International Fringe Festival. Director Javier Perez-Karam and choreographer Carlos Neto move Macario and his fellow actors Adyana de la Torre, Brendan Wahlers, and Jay Rivera on and off the stage with the grace and agility of a seasoned dance troupe.
Portraying journalists, weird abusive parents, casting agents and their secretaries, divas, and even the divine itself, these brilliant and seasoned actors echo the words of Davis’s clever script with a devilishly absurdist quality. They are all tropes (metaphors here) for Dan’s struggle with what it means to be famous, even questioning if he really wants to be famous: “God cut the need to be famous out of me!”
What to do with one’s craft is an eternal question in the mind of an actor. “Ticket 2 Eternity” uses the often thin line between reality and fantasy to address Dan’s and each aspiring actor’s haunting questions: why am I not more successful; am I developing my craft for myself or for someone else; how much of my personal life does the public need to know?
Ultimately, Dan understands that whatever happened in his past, he is responsible for his own success and, most importantly, he must never deny his ‘self:’ “The soul ages when I deny myself.” Dan’s struggles, his dreams, his fantasies (welcomed and otherwise) encourage all who struggle with identity and purpose to “just to be ourselves sooner.” What could be less absurd than that?
TICKET 2 ETERNITY
Presented by Ticket to Eternity Productions and The New York International Fringe Festival. Written by Matthew Ethan Davis. Directed by Javier Perez-Karam. Choreographed by Carlos Neto. Set/Props Designed by Sarah Cogan. Lighting Design by Christopher D’Angelo. Sound Design by Andy Cohen. Music Composed by Maria Linares. Stage Management by David Alejandro Smith.
WITH: Laris Macario, Jay Rivera, Adyana de la Torre, and Brendan Wahlers..
All performances take place at The Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street (7th Avenue and Hudson Street) in New York, NY. Tickets are available at www.fringenyc.org or 866-468-7619. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Senior and Fringe Junior tickets available at the door for $10. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes with no intermission. For further information, visit www.ticket2eternityproductions.com
Remaining Show Date: Saturday, August 25th @ 8:15 pm
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Saturday, August 25, 2012
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