My overall impression
Awkward Pauses is a total hoot. Starting off with Evan Baughfman’s very funny cosmic death rattle with Mindy Warick and Jerry Chappel strapped in for their ride to hell. Chappell’s manic hoots and nervous little boy chops were very funny to watch, and a perfect counterpart to Warick’s doubt-filled, mincing ambivalent death wishing. These two were a delicious comic duo.
Then Susan Marlowe and Tony Christopher pulled off the perfect awkard sex-in-the-park pas-de-dieux – funny, effective, physical theater in a wonderful domestic love send-up by Itai Grunfeld.
Funny but a bit less effective was The Middle American. We all probably agree with the sentiments, and the acting was journeymanlike (nice to see Christ cast, discreet & respectful) but modern religio-political satire needs to cut through, although Mauro Flores did definitely draw blood with this final piece of the night.
The house was packed on a Thursday night and it deserved to be for this company of terrific comedic actors and funny pro comic writing.
