Photo Source: Jarga Pix Photography
At a posh Italian restaurant, Walter (Evan Jay) wants desperately to propose to Casey (Nicole Truillo), while at the next table Brian (Michael Bernardi) is trying equally as hard to break up with the shrewish Racheli (Emma Peele). Shy, nerdy Eugene (William Downes) meets his statuesque blind date (Meaghan Bloom Fluit), who turns out to be into bondage. And Robert (Stephen Dexter) reconnects with an ex (Jeanne Marie McPhillips Dolan) who has turned into a shrill party girl. With assistance from a dopey waiter (Chris Bucci) and a snarky host (Chris Bayon), wackiness ensues.
Co-directors Robert Mark and Philip Russo set a glacial pace, which is death for a farce. But the real problem is with the script. The comic situations Pollack creates are slim at best. Instead of raising the stakes or adding obstacles, he just drags out a few trite misunderstandings to the point where they become tiresome.
Presented by Two Beard Productions as part of the New York International Fringe Festival at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center's Teatro Latea, 107 Suffolk St., NYC. Aug. 13–27. Remaining performances: Thu., Aug. 18, 2 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 20, noon; Mon., Aug. 22, 7:15 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 27, 5 p.m. (866) 468-7619 or www.fringenyc.com.
Editor's note: In the original posting of this review, the playwright's name was misspelled. The error has now been corrected. We apologize for the mistake.