“Our Kiki: A Gay Farce” at the New York International Fringe Festival at the Connelly Theater
“Our Kiki: A Gay Farce” at the New York International Fringe Festival at the Connelly Theater Written and Directed by Seth Tucker Choreographed by Shayla Benoit Reviewed by Joseph Verlezza Theatre Reviews Limited
The new definition of Kiki should be “a wonderful, wild ride on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster of theatrical farce.” Sit in your seat and start the slow steady climb of exposition, all the while anticipating when the excitement will begin, and when you reach the pinnacle of the plot hold on as you plummet with lightning speed into the twists and turns of a hysterical madcap farce. No need to hold on tight because there is also enough intelligence and social comment to keep you neatly fastened to reality. It is fast, furious fun that packs plenty of laughs into the short ninety minutes with smart dialogue and hilarious physical humor. No need here to expose the plot; it would ruin all the fun.
The cast is perfect, breathing a refreshing sense of honesty into the characters they inhabit, creating a reality in the midst of the absurd shenanigans. Seth Tucker as Phil stops just short of stereotype by enforcing sincere sentiment and confidence in his deliberately stylized behavior. Peter Graham is steady and stable fostering a true Ying to Phil’s Yang. Each is likable alone but together they are lovable. Brianna Lauren manages to squeak out performances as best friend and loyal wife with the utmost confidence and a wicked spark that can ignite the fireworks. Stuart Green as George is the master of transition morphing his character like a chameleon, always staying on top of the action. Chris Costa as Andres is like the cherry on top being the last to enter the game, and ready, willing and certainly capable of leading the laughs to an even higher level. Larry Ray does well handling the toughest role almost required to observe from the sidelines until he finally is dragged into the comical fray.
The show is not perfect: its flawed, rather preachy conclusion needs to be reformed. The message is evident but the manner of delivery is weak and should be dispersed and lighter, rather than a couple of long winded, uninspired monologues that hit the brakes a bit too hard causing a superficial jolt. In closing, kudos to the entire creative team that has come together to produce a great new gem that hopefully finds a bright future celebrating life, love, and lots of laughs.
OUR KIKI: A GAY FARCE
“Our Kiki: A Gay Farce” is presented by The New York International Fringe Festival and the Hybrid Theatre Ensemble at the Connelly Theater, 220 East 4th Street (Avenues A and B).
All performances of “Our Kiki: A Gay Farce” take place at on the following schedule: Sunday August 25th at 1:45 p.m. Tickets are $18.00 at the door and $15.00 for advance purchase. The running time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. For more information about the show and the cast and creative team, please visit www.hybridtheatreensemble.com For more information about the 17th Annual New York Fringe Festival visit www.FringeNYC.org.
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Monday, August 19, 2013
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