What I liked
Scout, Amanda, and Kara are all amazing. Scout truly did such a great job keeping me rooting for her and also so, so tired of her shit, masterfully done. Amanda was great at punching up the straight man into a real character who had tons of laughs unto themselves, and obviously Kara’s monologue needs little else to be said.
While I can’t know for sure what came from Stone, McRae, or the actors themselves, the show had great timing and use of the room.
What I didn't like
The ending was just okay, and for a play that is otherwise excellent, that doesn’t hold up. As the cast left the building, the audience was still very much looking for more. While this is a great sign for the show’s retention, the ending definitely needs a button or rewrite to make it feel more complete.
My overall impression
A Needless and Wasteful Requirement tragically does not live up to its name- the play is well-put and succinct, and certainly not the droll time implied by the name. The lines are perfectly timed, and despite the small cast and budget, the prop comedy keeps it from dragging. Writer and co-director Rob McRae clearly has a gift for the pen, and brings his expertise as a lawyer to the show with a savvy, cutting wit, while co-director Micala Stone ensures the cast really uses the space- up to and including the seat next to me.
Actress Kara O’Connor smashes in her fringe debut with one of the most hilarious and technically demanding monologues I’ve ever seen, with her role as “stage manager” playing hopscotch with the fourth wall throughout the viewing. A bold standout from this fringe’s freshman class, this reviewer looks forward to seeing her work in the future.
Leads Scout Gutzmerson and Amanda Noriko Newman are nothing short of electric. Gutzmerson’s enthusiasm as Joie de Vivre is palpable from the moment she steps on stage, and her frantic energy is felt for the length of the play. Her interchange with stage-mate Newman leaves us at once rooting for her naïve optimism and overwhelmed in the best way. Newman’s straight man character- though they’re zero for two on that description- is likewise electrifying, keeping me on the edge of my seat (or, indeed, beyond it entirely).
McRae’s work is a taproot of copyright law, internalized patriarchal values, and a level of sardonic Beckett scholarship rarely seen beyond liberal arts campuses, and absolutely rocks it.
