My overall impression
Jen Silverman is an up-and-coming playwright (Lark Playwrights’ Lab, Fusion Festival in New Mexico, U of Iowa MFA) and she does not disappoint here, with the taut, tense story of two drifters living in an abandoned summer home when the rich owner’s niece surprises them. But they’ve all got overlapping agendas, and the niece has a plan of her own…
Silverman (inspired by Pinter’s “The Caretaker,” but with more immediate flesh-and-blood, less elliptical characters)
got a knack for high-stakes tension and well-timed reveals. The direction by Alex Scott is excellent; he’s chosen his three actors extremely well, and a smart, judicious use of lighting really makes us feel the dark wine cellar. Kjai Block, Maggie Blake, and Austin Iredale flesh out their characters well. Iredale, who goes from menacing tough guy to anguished abandoned (spoiler deleted) has the showiest role, but Mr. Block and Ms. Blake always make us think we’re watching real people.
This isn’t your typical gimmicky Fringe show, or self-indulgent one-man memoir; this is just a really good play, extremely well-produced, and deserving of a wider audience. See it before it closes.
