What I liked
Everything? The show starts off on such a non-traditional note, with just five friends sitting around playing a drinking game. It feels entirely improved. But, the longer it goes, the more you realize that there is a structure at play here and that the comfort of these actors with one another is really pulling one over on the audience. Alex Collado is particularly effective as he struggles with career opportunities – and his hair alone is worthy of a Fringe award. Roei Cohen is a charming and rock solid center for the group, especially as he deals with the questioning of Noah, who isn’t sure if he hasn’t somehow started being attracted to men. Abdullah Shahid and Ally Center make a very believable couple who have started becoming unable to NOT be infuriated by one another’s behavior.
I got a lot of THE BIG CHILL vibes here, but for contemporary audiences. The music is effectively used on stage, and the program allows the audience to follow along with the drinking game. The final song of the show, which is performed by one of the actors, was a perfectly unexpected cap on a perfectly unexpected piece of theatre.
What I didn't like
I’ve got nothing. I feel like these guys knew exactly what they wanted to do, and did it. Even if they didn’t and stumbled into it, kudos on the courage to just dive right into Fringe with a show so inspired.
My overall impression
The most pleasant surprise I’ve had this Fringe – a charming and impossibly naturalistic show that never fails to impress with just how ‘real’ it seems. It feels like you’re just eavesdropping on a group of friends for an hour. And it helps that each of these friends is well-developed and engaging from beginning to end. Don’t miss your chance to hang out with these five for an hour.
