My overall impression
This Review first appeared on Stage Raw.*
There are no actual deaths in this sly and clever satire by playwright-director James F. Robinson, but one character experiences near-death.Four motivational speakers are finalists in the National Global Influencers contest. Lucy (Scarlet Bermingham) begins by telling us they’re here to destroy all our most cherished beliefs. She tells us the secret of success is to ignore depressing facts and to practice self-delusion: Just tell yourself, “You are freakin’ Awesome.” Mark (Eric Pierce) assures us that the way to achieve the Inevitability of Cosmic Bliss is to concentrate on the pushed-in face of an endearing pug-dog. Joan (Emilly Thomas) is so distracted by her chocolate addiction that she loses track of her message, crying out, “My free will was roofied and raped by a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.” Matthew insists that we are less concerned with the crimes of Stalin and Hitler than with getting laid, and direct action is futile, since all real change occurs sideways. He then goes on to perform a bit of grand-standing, to impress the contest judges, that nearly does him in. The script is scatter-shot but funny, and the actors are sharp and stylish.—Neal Weaver
