Playwright Marisa Wegrzyn’s Mud Blue Sky
opened to an appropriate Prom Night Theme with balloons and wrist corsages. The
enthusiasm of the folks who comprise the well established intimate Road Theatre
in two well appointed venues takes their entertaining seriously. Company
members pitch in and welcome their audience with charm.
 |
Adam Farabee, Carlyle King and Whitney Dylan
PHOTO CREDIT: John Lorenz
|
The Los Angeles premiere of Wegrzyn’s play prompted a
comment overheard as the audience left the tiny space upstairs at the old Los
Angeles Utilities Office. “Who
would choose this play for this company?”
The fact is that as sincere as the actors in the cast are, the
playwright’s attempt to sound a bit like Neil Simon by exploring career options
for middle aged flight attendants vis a vis teen angst is predictable. Exhausted Carlyle King as Beth enters a
cookie cutter hotel room (nicely done by Stephen Gifford) somewhere near O’Hare
Airport. She’s tired. There’s a
view of the parking lot. The TV
remote has been where no one should have gone before and becomes a running
gag.
Beth is soon joined by sexy Sam, (Whitney Dylan) a
colleague, who is making sure her son cleans up the kitchen at home by
reminding him on the phone. Soon
she spots Jonathan (Adam Farabee) in the parking lot. He’s wearing a tux and tennies and Sam thinks he’s cute.
The story turns on Beth’s considering retirement and
possibly starting a craft beer brewery in her garage. The idea is prompted only after scoring
dope from the Jonathan in the parking lot. Ditched by his prom date, Jonathan is
coaxed up to the hotel room where a little hide and seek evolves into hanky
panky (almost) and we meet the troubled Angie (talented Amy Tolsky) who has
been through the emotional wringer lately. She contributes a $400 bottle of
brandy to the gathering while recounting the sad tale of where it came from.
Mary Lou Belli’s direction is fine for the somewhat
pedestrian material she has to work with.
This is not a bad play. It’s just a play. It has some interesting soul
searching that may or may not have the characters moving on with their lives.
MUD BLUE SKY by
Marisa Wegrzyn
The Road Theatre on Lankershim
5108 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM
Sundays at 2PM
EXTENDED Through June 13, 2015
Tickets and Information www.roadtheatre.org
818 761 8838
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