An Evening of One-Acts by Ethan Coen

L - R Scott Thiede, Elliot White, and Eden Rousso

 

 

By Joe Straw

 

The 905 Cole Theatre in Hollywood is a perfect place to see small theatre.  It is easy to get to and there is plenty of street parking if you get there early enough. It’s just south of what’s left of Theatre Row on Santa Monica Boulevard.

On the bill tonight “An Evening of One-Acts by Ethan Coen”.  If you’re a fan of the Coen Brothers movies, then this may be for you.  One was interested to see if Ethan Coen’s work of outrageous characters in film translates to the character work on stage.      

Foster Cat Production’s Festival of Jewish Playwrights is presenting a series of one-acts written by three writers including Shel Silverstein, and Wendy Wasserstein. Tonight was Ethan Coen.  

In Peer Review, in a pretty blue shirt, Elliot (Elliot White) has gotten a bad job review from his present-day employer. His day-to-day ritual includes putting out negative waves that has festered into a bad case of job insecurity. The outlook for his current employment at this firm is not looking good. So, before the guillotine drops, he confronts his workmates, one supposes to get the feeling of what exactly went wrong.    

Not to say anything negative but the other workers are as bad or worse than Elliot in their menial jobs.  Keeping a low profile seems to be the order of the day. Except for a woman with an insatiable appetite Laura (Eden Rousso) who, at times, has a different co-worker crawling out from under her desk including Mark (Will Fulginiti) and Carl (Scott Thiede).

Cassady (Cooper McAdoo) plays a man that appears to be in human resources and trying to take control of Elliot.

In Talking Cure, Laurie (Sarah Natochenny) and her Doctor (Elliot White) attempt to have a serious conversation about why she is in the place she is in. Laurie has committed a crime which has got her in trouble and possibly incarcerated.  Getting out will be how far they progress in their sessions. One aspect of her life has us traveling back in time to her parents, an abusive Husband (Cooper McAdoo) and his wife (Eden Rousso) in a 1956 setting.

In Debate, two actors go at it.  God Who Judges (Harry White) wearing a white robe, sandals, and sporting an unkempt long white beard, versus God Who Loves (Will Fulginiti), God #2, evangelistic, coat and tie, each battling for the hearts and minds over their followers. And then, over differences, they battle each other before one kills the other when an Angel (Elliot White) enters exclaiming “Oh my God!”.  We find out they are performing in a very small theatre to an audience of two.

Young Man (Scott Thiede) and Young Woman (Eden Rousso) leave the theatre and go out to eat and discuss the play.

Lady Friend (Sarah Natochenny) meeting the God Who Judges Actor enters the same restaurant and waits for him anticipating the wonderful repartee about his performance.  

Life, not imitating art, God Who Judges Actor in the process of coming down from his work (Actors!), confronts the Maitre’d (Cooper McAdoo) who is having girlfriend issues before all hell breaks loose.

Ethan Coen characters takes matters to the extreme, they are three dimensional, and they are presented to you in agonizing and amusing ways.  One may not always like them, but they all have a biting edge. The significant thing about his one-acts are the words that leaves the characters room to breathe, that exercises a connection, before venturing off to capture a moment. His work is superior.

But not everything worked on this night in Peer Review. Adjustments are needed to a take the characters to the extreme and carefully examen the conflict in each vignette. For example, Laura is not listening because she has a physical distraction under the table.  Adding that extreme life before the encounter, during, and then after the encounter will help the characters get more mileage in the scene.   Also, Cassady, throwing the ball in the air, does not highlight the conflict or move the scene in the manner of his that resolves his objective.  

Also, as an aside, there is something funny about the blue stapler that matches the color of Elliot’s shirt that is purposefully left on the table.  One is not sure what it meant, but it was funny.

Sarah Natochenny

 

In Talking Cure, the conversation between Laurie and the Doctor, is smart, and the execution is incomparable. The Doctor moves with such precision, as though the actor were a qualified practitioner. Their jousting was real and their conflict sincere. (An ecossaise waiting for the music.)   A stunning Sarah Natochenny works her magic and Elliot White has an overpowering sincerity to his work. Tying the Husband and Wife is a little confusing and maybe there is a better way of connecting that relationship on stage.

Harry White

 

One favors The Debate as the best of the night as it reaches all things Ethan Coen. This play gives you the best of little theatre, the characters, and the life they experience after an exhausting theatrical night. Harry White as God Who Judges was exceptional with a powerful voice that reaches the back of the theatre, and he is also very funny.  Will Fulginiti is perfect as God Who Loves with his clear and persuasive voice and there is something amazing in his clarity and delivery.  Cooper Mcadoo as the Maitre’d looks nothing like his photo in the program, but he gives a terrific and very funny performance in this piece.

Foster Cat Productions, and Jan McAdoo are new to me.   Harry and Elliot White, the artistic directors are also the directors of the night. Their work had some very clever touches, and this was true throughout the night. One can also say these are an exceptional group of actors. Their manner of communication is exquisite, simple, and plain spoken.  They all shined in their own unusual way, and it was an outstanding showcase and a brilliant night for all involved.

An Evening of One-Acts by Ethan Coen (60 mins) DATES: Sat, 3/2 - Fri, 3/8 - Fri 3/15 - Sat, 3/23 - Sun, 3/31 - Fri, 4/5 - Sun, 4/7

https://www.onstage411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=6430