Disorderly Conduct
Disorderly Conduct
Play De Luna
Art’s Sake Studio, Winter Park FL</strong>
Orlando’s sharpest short play even returns with eight 10 minute events, some by local writers and a few more from national writers. The first act features 4 plays with a unifying thread – “Dates, disrupted.” John Connon’s couple Joe (Ryan Holmes) and Melissa (Ashely Pinnock) retire to a fine restaurant for a first date; her big revelation is she lost 150 pounds, which is pretty amazing. She called her eating issue her “ex-boyfriend” and he appear in the form of spritely Big Bones (Charlie Prince.) Ryan is nervous, Big Bones insistent, and it a takes a strong woman to decide where she is going to go. I don’t know how things with Joe will work out as living with someone who has invisible friends is often more trouble than she’s worth, but she still has here self-worth.
“Zombie Love” (Earl T Roske) goes for the slightly gross; here Emily (Claire Ghezzi) is hot for the nice looking but still undead Walter (Derek Smith.) Her friend Kathy (Emily Cutting) wants Emily to hold out for someone more…lively, but comes around after Walter starts munching on earth worms. I think they were liquorice.
Mark Harvey Levine’s “Face to Facebook” takes us to Café Très Cher; here Amanda (Andrea Gentry) meets up with tallish Marvin and his tablet computer (Yasheera Acevedo.) Marvin relies on his Tablet for advice on everything and his insensitive posting of pictures says “Look at me! I’m so 2012!” Good luck on that man’s sexual future.
We wrap up the act with ‘“The Modern American Romance Not Often Scene” by Mark Troy. Deedee (Jessica Montgomery) brings shy Avery (Jason Fusco) back home, she’s hot to trot and he’s feeling uncomfortably numb. Ruffies are involved, and you wonder: “Can she seduce him, or is he beyond performance tonight?” Motivations are mixed but happiness prevails.
Act Two spread out and covers more material; we begin with “Ambush!” by John Connon. Anna (Joy Kigin) is an ideal middle class wife; she keeps house, cooks, manages the kids and does everything but look Vogue. Her husband (David Rose) tries to do something nice for her but screws up: Anna arranges for her to be kidnapped by the outrageous Gloria Loria (Chris Walker.) She hosts one of those surprise make over reality shows which have some sort of morbid fascination, most of which comes from her out of control personality. There’s a creepy element here, the kidnapping seems pretty real, and you hear genuine fear in here voice before she takes charge of the situation. Bonus points go to the subtle gag about Gloria’s favorite designer Donna Mastadonna. Well, I thought it was funny.
Bad Medicine (by Rachel Thompson) explores the world of medicine run by sales quotas; Doctor (Susanna Potrock) sells pills by the suitcase full to Andy Gion. His minor ailments turn into a whole season of medical contraindications. This show made a real impression on one audience member; she lectured me on this problem at another show the next day.
This evening’s favorite comes from Stan Madray’s “Happily Ever After.” Dashing knight (Alex Ullrich) slayed a dragon and got to marry the princess (Angela Trapp). She’s not only disappointed by his slovenly quarters, but soon discovers he’s rooming with his horse Chip (Matt Dorman). The story is rather straightforward, but Dorman’s horse costume and manners made the show. And the princess? She’ll give it a try. There’s always daddies money.
We close out with another “Dates, disrupted” story. In “Role Playing Night” (by Matt Einhorn) sexy Liv (Jacquelynne Faith Bernstein) misinterprets her husband Mark’s (Tommy Goodman) suggestion for an evening role playing, and he didn’t explain that two other guys were invited so her special gift from the Sex Store wouldn’t work as well as a 20 sided die. Bonus hit points to James (Ryan Kim) and Ian (Nick Leali); they do some fine fake sword fighting and general whining about letting a girl play in their guy games.
It’s only another year before Play De Luna returns; I’ll mark it on my calendar when they announce the dates!
For more information on Art’s Sake Studios, check www.art-sake.com/
