On the Waterfront

True Stories Of Imaginary People

By Luigi Jannuzzi, Terri Campion, Judy Klass, Kerri Kochanski, and Carl Gonzalez
The Waterfront Ensemble
Producer's Club
Equity showcase (closed)
Review by John Attanas

True Stories of Imaginary People (Evening B) consisted of six one-act plays of varying styles.

The first play, Look Ma!, written and directed by Luigi Jannuzzi, is a monologue about an actress who works as an usher and asks a writer to write a monologue for her about an actress who works as an usher.

The second piece, Technical Difficulties, written and directed by Terri Campion, is a comedy about Steve, an unemployed, balding sad sack who can't get women to pay attention to him. When he bumps into an old friend, Charlie, who produces porno movies (but refers to them as "adult dramas"), he asks him if he will cast him in a film. But at the shoot Steve discovers that porno movies aren't all they are made out to be.

The third play was Hard To Get, by Judy Klass (directed by Igor Goldin). It concerns Mark, a macho publishing executive, who asks his former co-worker Steven, an intellectual gay man, to drop by their old office. When Steven gets there, Mark strangely asks him advice about picking up girls, as the sexy new temp is something of an intellectual. But under Mark's macho rap, there is a lot more going on, especially regarding his sexuality.

The Question, by Kerri Kochanski (directed by Doretta Berry), was the most presentational piece of the evening. It is a collection of seemingly disparate short monologues spoken by six very different characters.

Whatever Happened To You and Me?, by Carl Gonzalez (directed by Tim Craig), is set in the card section of a Rite-Aid the night before Vaientine's Day. It concerns Jen and her married ex-lover Martin, who bump into each other while buying Valentine's Day cards.

The final piece, Oh, Those Antiquities!, by Luigi Jannuzzi (directed by Leecia Manning), is about Queen and Ra, two Egyptian mummies who decide they want their agent to get them better working conditions the next time they are taken out on a museum tour.

The writing for all six plays was fairly good. The most complete play on the bill was Technical Difficulties, which was fast, funny, and surprisingly human. Whatever Happened To You and Me?, and Hard To Get were both quite good. Although neither play had a big payoff, the characters and situations were well-developed and quite touching. Oh, Those Antiquities! was a very quirky, original piece, and at about 10 minutes, was just the right length.

On the production level, the Waterfront Ensemble did a complete, simple job. Notable among the actors were Jeff Biehl and Leecia Manning in Technical Difficulties, Dawn McGee and Michael Cleeff in Whatever Happened To You and Me?, and Bruce Barton as the hyperallergic Ra in Oh, Those Antiquities!

On the whole, The Waterfront Ensemble should be pleased with itself. They are a group to watch. (Also featuring Michael Giorgio, Yvette Lenhart, Jason Grote, Jeff Baskin, Wade Gasque, Michele Fulves, Jeanine T. Abraham, Judy Bard, and Christopher H. Matthews. Lighting designer, Ray Cullom)

Box Score:
Writing 1
Set 1
Acting 1
Costumes 1
Directing 1
Lighting/Sound 1
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Copyright 1997 John Attanas