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Do the Twist
by William Coyle
Twisted reviewed July 9, 2009
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| Chris Enright as Herod Anitpas and Nicole Howard as Herodias in Justin Warner's |
| Photo Credit:David Anthony |
| The five short pieces in Rising Sun Performance Company’s Twisted are more akin to long-form comedy sketches than to plays. That’s ok, though, because most of them are quite entertaining, and a few are genuinely hilarious. Two of them are funnier than anything I’ve seen on television in years.
Justin Warner’s “Head Games” is an uproarious bit about King Herod bringing the nonchalant and seemingly ungrateful Salome the head of John the Baptist on a plate, as she has demanded. When he notices that her other favorite foods are specialty pastries like ladyfingers and “virgins’ nipples,” Herod realizes he has made a grave error. Chris Enright, who reminds me quite a bit of Will Ferrell, is side-splittingly funny as the hapless Herod, trying to keep Herodias and Salome from seeing what he’s brought home in a basket.
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| Melissa Ciesla as Mom and Michael McManus as Son in Tom Kiesche's |
| Photo Credit:David Anthony |
| Similarly, Tom Kiesche’s “Nurturing Bond” is a clever sketch that also gives you a little to think about. A Tony Danza-ish Michael McManus plays a twenty-five year old man who is attached to his mother—literally. Joined by an eight-foot long umbilical cord, the severing of which would result in one of their deaths, the man, who is a bartender, and his mother (Melissa Ciesla) spend their lives doing everything together. He keeps her in the shadows as he disastrously tries to pick up women who soon retire to the ladies' room to vomit. He blurts out, incongruously, “I wanted to be an astronaut.” Dejected, he ponders a fateful decision.
Mark Harvey Levine’s “The Kiss” is a light, tender comedy about two young friends—(Jonathan Reed Wexler as Denis and Flor Bromley as Allison)—who just can’t seem to declare or come to terms with their affection for each other. Denis visits Allison to let her know that he is going on a date, but first he would like to practice his kissing skills on her to see if he is any good. What ensues is a cute, lighthearted and thorny romp through young adult longing.
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| Flor Bromley as Allison and Jonathan Reed Wexler as Denis in Mark Harvey Levine's |
| Photo Credit:David Anthony |
| Less successful, though still entertaining, are the two sketches which bookend Twisted. Matt Hanf’s “Teddy Knows Too Much” is about a young boy, jealous of his sister, who plots against his family and confides it all to his teddy bear. If you’re a fan of Family Guy you’ll instantly recognize Billy’s (Peter Aguero) debt to the character of Stewie. The script is frenetic and silly; Mr. Aguero has some comedic chops but only sometimes manages to salvage it.
Kitt Lavoie’s “Party Girl” falters because it doesn’t know whether it wants to be a comedy or drama; ultimately it’s neither. Phillip (Billy Fenderson), a young attorney, visits a strip club to celebrate his cousin’s bachelor party and realizes that his PhD-candidate girlfriend, Lorelei (Becky Sterling) is working as one of the strippers. The script is derivative—Tom Hanks’ early film Bachelor Party comes to mind—Phillip’s unseen father is even involved in the festivities.
Overall, Twisted is a solid comedic offering. A few of the cast members could fit in easily on Saturday Night Live. Despite the confines of their small black box space, the actors are often capable of pulling off some challenging physical comedy. Rising Sun Performance Company is a youthful, enthusiastic company and I look forward to seeing more from them, perhaps with some contributions from female playwrights next time.
If you’re looking for a summer evening of wacky comedy before dinner or drinks, you’ll be in the right place with Twisted.
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Under St. Marks
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Category: One-Acts
Written by: Kitt Lavoie, Justin Warner, Mark Harvey Levine, Matt Hanf, Tom Kiesche
Directed by: Jason Tyne-Zimmerman, Matthew Kreiner, Ian Quinlan,Joseph McLaughlin & Melissa Farinelli
Produced by: Rising Sun Performance Company
Opened: July 9, 2009
Closed: July 25, 2009
Running Time: 75 minutes
Theater: Under St. Marks
Address: 94 St. Mark's Place
New York, NY 10009
Yahoo! Maps Directions
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Tickets: $15.00
Student & Seniors w/ ID $12
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Creative Team Rising Sun Performance Company
Written by: Matt Hanf (“Teddy Knows Too Much”); Tom Kiesche (“Nurturing Bond”); Mark Harvey Levine (“The Kiss”); Justin Warner (“Head Games”); Kitt Lavoie (“Party Girl”)
Directed by: Joseph McLaughlin (“Teddy Knows Too Much”); Matthew Kreiner (“Nurturing Bond”); Melissa Farinelli (“The Kiss”); Jason Tyne-Zimmerman (“Head Games”); Ian Quinlan (“Party Girl”)
Assistant Director: Cara Liander (“Teddy Knows Too Much”)
Produced by: Rising Sun Performance Company
Lighting and Sound Designer: Direction Team
Sound Designer (“Party Girl”): Chris Barlow
Light and Sound Operators: Elaine Jones, Travis Kendrick, Dan Vidor
Costume Designer: Katherine Stults
Properties Master/Special Effects Designer/Production Assistant: Elaine Jones
Crew
Production Stage Manager: Howard Tilkin
House Managers/Fireguards: Akia, Tiffini, Mainatel, Travis Kendrick, Dan Vidor
Publicist: Emily Owens PR
Rising Sun Marketing: Akia and Ensemble
Program Designer: United Stages
Photographer/Videographer: David Anthony
Postcard/Poster Designer: Akia
Cast
“Teddy Knows Too Much”: Alexia Tate as Mom; Nicole Howard as Jenny; Chris Enright as Dad; Peter Aguero as Billy
“Nurturing Bond”: Michael McManus as Son; Melissa Ciesla as Mom
“The Kiss”: Flor Bromley as Allison; Jonathan Reed Wexler as Denis
“Head Games”: Nicole Howard as Herodias; Chris Enright as Herod Anitpas; Lindsay Beecher as Salome
“Party Girl”: Becky Sterling as Lorelei; Lindsay Beecher as Kal; Billy Fenderson as Phillip
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