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Fringe 2005 Reviews (59)
Linda Marlowe - Mortal Ladies
Possessed
By Matthew Hurt
Festival Highlights
Assembly Rooms George Street
***
Adapted from the short stories of Tenessee Williams, Mortal Ladies
Possessed will probably appeal most to fans of either the famous
writer or the solo performer, Linda Marlowe.
As she switches between characters, the uninitiated might become confused
as to exactly what's going on, but for the most part Marlowe has taken
advantage of the set (designed by Rachana Jadhav) and costumes to keep
the show moving.
The venue is small and intimate, which certainly helps the story as
we meet a variety of (mostly) southern women and learn each of their
stories.
Rachel Lynn Brody
Dark Horse, Indiana
By Eric Barry
Punch Theatre
Pleasance Courtyard
***
This production supposes that America is a country where homosexuality
is the norm, and heterosexuals the persecuted minority. It does this
quite literally, bringing all the conservative right's prejudices and
justifications to the 'traditionalist' gay power structure it puts into
place.
The premise is an interesting one, and the company has been thorough
and relentless in its examination of a closeted straight man's struggle.
It is in the moments of concrete reality that Dark Horse, Indiana
is strongest; when it becomes more surreal it becomes harder to sympathize
with the characters.
Although Barry's script occasionally recalls the psychobabble of Dawson's
Creek's teen characters and the rhetoric is decidedly one-sided,
the actors are interesting enough to maintain our interest. A brief
moment of nudity at the outset sets up a convention that is not maintained,
and makes the initial moment seem more meant for shock value than to
make a statement.
Rachel Lynn Brody
The Maids
By Jean Genet
RSAMD and Pollenpot Theatre
Venue 13, Lochend Close
**(*)
Although Genet's script is enticing and one can certainly see how much
of a furore his tale of two sisters intent on murdering their
mistress might have caused a stir in the late 1940s, RSAMD and Pollenpot's
production does not take full advantage of the opportunities offered.
While the topics may be deadly serious, there's a sense of farcical
fun about the play that never materializes in the way the actors portray
the sisters. Time and time again, it seemed the cast was reaching a
point of frenzy, only to draw back without making good on the implied
promise.
Rachel Lynn Brody
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