My overall impression
I loved the fact that Awkward Pauses gave us three thought-provoking works in one! The first and second short plays were great! Both were really well-acted. The first play about a pair of people on a roller coaster that’s apparently leading them to their deaths really struck a nerve and got me thinking about if and when it’s OK to take your own life. The second play, about an estranged couple giving their kid time with his babysitter crush while they go out to a movie was hilarious – watching this awkward, distant couple try to have sex on a park bench in winter to “spice things up” was so funny – but also a great examination of getting to be a certain age in a relationship and wanting to know what’s next.
The one weakness in the evening came at the end, with a heavy-handed political allegory about a right-wing husband and wife where the husband starts gasp reading liberal media! I’m a bit tired of political plays that paint politics as black and white, good and bad. “Us” and “Them” doesn’t serve anyone, as people are rarely one-dimensional. I’m a liberal, but I know plenty of conservatives, and believe it or not, they’re not all crazy! The actors in this play were fine, but the material was lazy – an attempt to preach to the choir without actually engaging in any critical thinking.
Still, I would highly recommend this evening of theater for the first two plays, and because of this theater company in general. 3 of a Kind Theatre Company is made up of a hugely talented group of people, and their work deserves attention!
