My overall impression
Reblogged from www.LAtheatrereview.com:
A Picnic at the Asylum at the Hudson Theatre
by Marcus Kaye~
From the moment she steps onto the stage, Angela Neff has the audience in the palm of her hand, or rather, in the seat of her father’s woody. Neff’s stage presence alone is reason enough to see A Picnic at the Asylum. Factor in her seamless character transitions, a darkly comedic story, and a compelling examination of father/daughter relationships and what results is nothing short of a Hollywood Fringe hit.
Bravely portraying her bi-polar father, pregnant mother and 6 other siblings, Neff paints a fascinating picture of suburban life with her manic depressive dad. Through AA, asylum picnics and birthday dinners, the audience grows up with Neff, clearly seeing how she could both love and hate her father.
Neff’s mannerisms are so distinct, that she is able to fluidly transitions between her multitude of personalities by simply changing gesture. While other one-man shows rely on costumes or dialogue to mark the transition, it is Neff’s physicality here that does the trick.
The story hits the dramatic highs and lows of Neff’s childhood without ever dragging or feeling redundant. Expertly written and full of surprises, the script is pitch perfect.
A Picnic at the Asylum plays June 19 at 5pm, June 20 and 25 at 8pm and June 22 and 23 at 9:30pm at the Hudson Theatre.
