Sunday, January 30, 2011
By LORRAINE WARDLE
YOUNGSTOWN
If variety is the spice of life, then the Oakland certainly knows how to spice up local theater.
“Death Defying Acts,” the latest offering from the Oakland Center for the Arts, is a series of one-act plays by various authors on various subjects. The three parts come together to form an entertaining evening.
The first play, “The Interview,” is a very short piece by David Mamet that pits a lawyer against an interviewer. The lawyer, played by Denise Glinatsis Bayer, feels pressured to defend herself, although against what is not exactly clear. She gets no empathy from her interviewer as she tries to argue, in stereotypical lawyer fashion, that she is innocent.
Bayer, who also directed the piece, was a perfect caricature of an arrogant, self-righteous lawyer. She spoke for nearly the entire play, never missing a beat and flowing through her lines with perfect “lawyer speech.” Shaun Lipe was appropriately reserved and withdrawn as her interviewer.
The second play is Elaine Mays’ “Hotline,” about a counselor at a crisis-prevention center. Joyce A. Jones plays Kenita Gardner, a counselor on her first day at the hotline. Though nervous at first, she is encouraged by her colleagues and feels good about the lives she is saving. Until Dorothy calls. Dorothy, played by Molly Makselan, is a distraught prostitute who has decided to end her life. After a distressing evening, she finally gets through to Kenita. Though the subject is dramatic, the play is very comical with surprising wit and levity.
Jones and Makselan provide perfect foils to each other. While Jones’ Kenita is sweet and calm to her phone clients, Makselan’s Dorothy is brash and harsh. The two build a great dynamic though they never physically interact with each other. David Anthony Romeo and Meysha Harvile provide support to Kenita as her supervisor and co-worker, while Katie Seminara adds to Dorothy’s stress.
The final play of the evening is “Central Park West” by Woody Allen. The play is a typical bedroom farce, complete with infidelity, deception and wild characters. Margie Johnson is Phyllis, a successful analyst who discovers her husband is cheating on her. Her friend, Carol, reacts hysterically and suspiciously.
Johnson plays Phyllis with a dry, pragmatic delivery and nice variety, while Jennifer Milligan’s Carol starts out frantic but mellows nicely. Joining them are Carol’s husband, Howard; Phyllis’ husband, Sam; and Sam’s paramour, Juliet.
Jacob Harver was hilarious as Howard, a neurotic, Woody Allen type. As his emotions and reactions ran the gamut, his performance kept the audience in stitches. As Sam, Jaye Mills was straight-laced and serious, while Alaina Gilchrist, as Juliet, was na Øve and unsure.
Separately, each play is an entertaining look into a random moment in life. Together, they make for an enjoyable evening of local theater.
“Death Defying Acts” continues Feb. 3, 4 and 5 at 8 p.m. For tickets, call 330-746-0404.