My overall impression
I kept running across the various members of Fierce Backbone throughout the Fringe, but had been unable to attend any of their shows except Texas Loves Lyla! I am so glad that I was able to carve out a few hours of my time and that I picked this particular production to attend – it was soooo worth it!
Mandy Dunlap was brilliant as Suri in the opening number, Gayby’s Playdate. The writing, directing and acting were all above board. It wasn’t until the end of the skit that you realized it was so much more than simply funny – the piece had a great moral about overcoming prejudice – excellent food for thought.
Next up was Whole Foods about a seasoned guard trying to teach his rookie replacement all about the job. His ability to create these incredible characters simply with his words and gestures made the performance so much more fascinating.
Talk in 10 was the weakest link in the show, and really left me with more questions than answers after the performance. I don’t know whether it was the script or the performance, but the skit needs some tightening up to come up to the standards of the other three skits in the play.
The finale was definitely the best. Using that one-of-a-kind speech by Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men as its model, the play sought to show what happens when a child questions the daily peanut butter and jelly sandwich made for him by his mother by asking for a tuna sandwich instead. Monica Martin’s presentation was stunning. I will never be able to watch Nicholson’s character again without thinking of A Few Good PB&J’s.
This show was a very worthy offering by Fierce Backbone and I look forward to seeing many more of their shows.
