My overall impression
Love can drive you mad – as evident in this well structured dark farce by Steve Yockey. There is not one sane character in this play, which could’ve gone completely wrong if it weren’t for Tom Beyer’s sharp direction and his ensemble’s finely nuanced performances – I believed they were all functional crazies just living their crazy lives.
The plot centers on accident prone Evan’s (Alexis Delarosa) latest injury – a supposed stabbing while he was jogging in the park. His flakey sister Ellen (Esther Canata) obsesses over him and his fiancé Diane (Alina Phelan) has clearly had the last straw. Ellen’s co-worker Tessa (Grace Eboigbe) stops by with lifelong friend Stanley (Travis Moscinski) to check in on them. She’s had four fiancés die which has clearly had an effect on her. There’s also the insane cat-lady neighbor Mirabelle (Channing Sargent) who’s in love with Evan and Jerome (Tony Decarlo) who no one likes but is in love with Ellen.
There’s a lot happening here but the tightly scripted plot is well executed with great twisted humor. Most delightful was the very long fight between Diane and Mirabelle. It’s almost too long but their sheer exhaustion by the end of it is hysterical. Although the ensemble is strong, Phelan carries the show with her fragility, desperation and pitch-perfect timing.
