What is that saying? "The third time is the charm?" That was certainly the case with Vital Signs/Series Three, the final installment of Vital Theatre Company's Fall Festival of One Acts. Without doubt, it was the strongest evening in an impressive series.
The Risen Chris by Vicki Caroline Cheatwood began the evening with explosive force. This tale of an aging trophy wife finding herself was beautifully directed by Linda Ames Key and performed with exquisite humanity by Sharron Bower and Anthony Walker.
Rich Orloff's Heart of the Fire, directed by Frank Pisco, was another small gem. Pisco's taut direction of Orloff's taut script caught the tension between an estranged brother and sister as they face the terminal illness of their mother. Benin Foster was terrific as the brother; Wendy Allegaert was outstanding as the conflicted sister, her look of torment like an open, gaping wound.
Friends of the Deceased by Jane Shepard was a sharply funny piece, crisply directed by Andrea Testani and wonderfully performed by Pamela Dunlap and Vanessa Shealy. Dunlap was particularly impressive, dropping Shepard's hilariously acid-dipped bon mots with off-handed aplomb.
The weakest piece of the evening was Jim Doyle's labored gay farce Kiss Me Nate. Tony Hamilton's direction spun wildly out of control, and the performances of Brian Otano, David Lamberton, and Anthony Bishop were huffy, puffy, and ever so fey, particularly Otano, who hurled the word "Darling" around with all of the sophistication of a bowling ball headed for the gutter.
With Drive, by Mark Young, things got back in gear. Margie Lambert's precise direction and the smart performances of Kassie Bracken and Joseph Sullivan kept Young's detailed treatise of ex-lovers sharing a long drive percolating with a wry sexual tension.
The production's physical aspects were the same as Series 1 and 2 (set by Michael Schloegl and Jane Shepard; technical consultant: Ted Stearns; production coordinator: Rene Ragan) and worked just fine to showcase what was important: the writing, acting and directing.
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|
The Risen Chris |
Heart of the Fire |
Friends of the Deceased |
Kiss Me Nate |
Drive |
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Writing |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Directing |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Acting |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Set |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Costumes |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Lighting/Sound |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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Copyright 2002 Doug DeVita