World Premier: Sharon
The big line in writer/co-star Keiko Green’s Sharon comes about halfway through the first act: “Imagine being so lonely that you have to make yourself sick to talk to someone.” And through that first act, the play works as a proper thriller with laughs — mostly of the nervous, “Oh dear, what should be a normal situation is uncomfortably off-kilter” variety. Why does this haunted-looking dude named Jake have to tell his loving mother right at the outset that she’s not supposed to ask him about his rotten day working at the local grocery store, but rather recount the play-by-play of what she’s seen on TV? And how does she come across as a cheerful homemaker making comforting meals in this absolute wreck of a tenement apartment? (Those particular questions get answered, pretty quickly, though the answers raise a few others.)
But also the sort of laughter that is born of relief: Oh thank goodness, after all that misery and tension, some ordinary silliness from a ridiculous bank teller who’s obsessed with smell! He may be ridiculous, but he’s mostly real, which may be more than we can say for the new girl at work, who’s sharp and funny and takes a highly improbable shine to our very stunted and grumpy protagonist. (He reminds her of a pet iguana she once had.) But just before intermission, we get a sense of what the new girl might mean to the story, and the dynamics shift and the tension spikes…
And then in act two, things change — in the direction of big and broad. The bank teller’s brand of silliness starts to spread over the proceedings, even as the actual events grow increasingly serious. The play becomes a comedy with thrills. By the end, what should be horror plays almost as farce, and the nervous laughter returns. What’s going on here? Ms. Green is a fine writer and her castmates are clear and compelling, but her character’s ability to detect untruths gets weirdly wasted when it’s needed most.
When
Ongoing until Sunday, July 2, 2023
Hours
| Sundays, 1pm & 7:30pm |
| Thursdays, 7:30pm |
| Fridays, 7:30pm |
| Saturdays, 7:30pm |