THE PLAY: A collection of 10 short one-acts that revolve around the theme of people connecting (or not).

 

THE PRODUCTION: Each of the sketches is so short (10 min or less) that there’s no time for the actors to develop any real characters or create much dramatic momentum. While the ensemble has a natural ease on stage, they’re generally playing surface variations of themselves (the exception is Crystal Oakley’s funny neurotic in “Please Have a Seat”). It may have been a conscious decision by the directors to keep the staging static (and focus on performances), but it makes the casual pacing of every sketch even more bland. It doesn’t help that scenes are punctuated with slow fades, when blackouts would have been more effective. The timid music between scenes adds to the casual feeling of the show, which is presented in the theatre’s black box with a few minor props and basic uneven lighting.

 

THE POINT: This is more like an acting class exercise than a full-fledged production. One that’s not especially accomplished or compelling.

 

(2 / 5)

 

At HATTheatre thru 2/13