My overall impression
I was waiting in line for another show a week ago when the small but utterly enthusiastic audience for this one emerged, raving about Ira Aldridge (the subject) and Ryan Vincent Anderson (the star). When I returned to see it for myself I understood why! The Life Story of Aldridge (now almost TWO hundred years past) is amazing, well-researched and well-written, and Ryan Vincent Anderson does him full justice! Indeed, I’d be happy to see it again—-especially if it was extended from one hour to 90 minutes, or even longer, so that more detail about Ira’s life could be included AND so that the star could do more extensive snippets of the classics for which he became famous! One of the real jewels of this year’s Fringe Fest, it deserves a longer life and a much wider audience!
