Just me, or was this bathroom HUGE??
Rating: 2
Bathroom Confessions
KC Fringe Festival
After viewing the preview for this show on Sunday, the 25th, expectations were, honestly, low. Even though, the hope that out of the unprepared mess of a preview, there were grow and flourish a comedy worth watching. This hope was only slightly crushed on Thursday, the 29th.
The set was as complex as it needed to be (which was not very complex at all). Having the sink down center was a tad annoying, but harmless enough. The stall was well done; that is to say, it looked just like every stall that ever existed where drunk people existed too. The fact that the stall was off left made it nearly impossible for the entire audience to view it when a bunch of people gathered to discuss a passage written inside it, though. Center might have been the better choice for placement. And having only a door, a sink, and and a stall attempt to fill the Off Center Theatre space made this bathroom seem MUCH larger than any girls' bathroom that has ever existed in a bar. But one really only noticed once all 8 characters were present, and everyone had the room to do a cartwheel (hypothetically).
The show, technically, went off without a hitch thanks to stage manager, Victoria C. Frank, whose fading of the music whenever the door opened seemed much too realistic for a theatrical production. The writing by Crystal Gould, although nothing special, was funny at times and just chatter at others. Ultimately, direction-wise, it was very disorganized and chaotic, and even though it can be appreciated that that's how drunk people move and converse, a little more organization would have helped the audience understand whose voice was coming from where. Afterall, most of the play saw groups of 2 or 3 scattered throughout the stage...so the talking could be coming from anywhere.
The show certainly had its moments; when the actors managed to play a joke successfully, it was very funny: "You smell like you sucked off a Bath and Body Works" (Tran) was one of the funnier moments of the play, for instance. The general acting of the piece consisted of drunkenness and spell-binding interest in mundane things such as glitter due to the drunkenness. This holds exception to only a few directed moments that were very fun: a glow-stick dance in the dark (during which the bathroom stall visitor, Rob (Hogge), pees on himself); any glitter/sticker moment; and the singing of "More Than Words" by Dave (Tran) and company.
A play full of drunks is a special challenge, and anyone up to the task of directing such a piece better know how to realistically play drunk. Gilchrist, Hogge, Kelly, Peterson, and Laurie all managed "drunk" very nicely. And in the comfort of not "playing drunk," these actors found additional moments to really snag the audience's attention. Gilchrist, while playing someone who was probably not as intoxicated as her new-found friends, found a level of dryness and sarcasm that was perfect for the character. Both Kelly and Tran's antics on the guitar were absolutely delightful to behold. And Peterson, who immediately grabbed everyone's attention from the moment she stepped onto the stage, continued to entertain the audience throughout the play. The simplicity of any line she said did not matter; this girl could make it funny, charming, and full of life.
While this play had its very comical moments, ultimately, it was a longer version of its preview; disorganized, confusing, and recognizable; for who has not spent longer than necessary in the bathroom talking to a stranger about pointless, yet seemingly interesting, things?
read the review at KC Stage
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