Pinky Swear’s Unclear Family: Benched and Bleed

In this first of a two play evening, playwright Allyson Currin covers safe, familiar territory of friendship, commitment and support. Here, three playground Moms share aspects of their lives while watching their brood from the playground bench.

Karina Hilleard, playing first mom Timby, wheels her baby stroller around like a precision speed racer, but even her gorgeous clipped British accent can’t cover her anxiety and insecurity as a former decorator unable to commit to her living room color scheme.  Seasoned actress Toni Rae Salmi plays Meghan with a quiet strong reserve –she’s the only one who is divorced and the script makes too much of a point of the others trying to get her a date, instead of delving into the characters to understand why and how she’s actually the rock in the group.  Joan, played with flair by Rebecca Ellis seems to be the most pulled together until it’s revealed what’s in her ever present Avion water bottle.

It’s fun to watch the Mom’s distinct mannerisms and vocal tones change drastically when talking among themselves about all kinds of intimate subjects, then switching to full throated hearty Mom yells to keep their youngsters out of harm’s way.  With only a few exceptions at the end, director Matt Ripa keeps the scenes moving at a clipped pace, and the script eventually depicts growth and awareness among the characters.  For example, reflecting today’s unsettled fiscal conditions, single Mom Meghan loses her only source of support, and decides that she can no longer stay in her house, providing a much needed dose of reality for the tennis /yoga prone trio.

The play’s tone turns more somber as the women consider ways to help Meghan, even somehow share her financial burdens.  Currin brings the matter to a realistic conclusion and clear direction by Matt Ripa shows that even when the bond between friends is heartfelt, personalities and people are not interchangeable, and that a departure impacts the delicate balance of their interactions despite their shared charges as benched Moms.

Costume designer Adalia Tonneyck starts the characters in colorful jackets and sweaters which darken to more classic black and white by the end of the show.

Currin covers timeless issues of setting life priorities, self-reliance, and confidence (or lack thereof).

Benched . by Allyson Currin . Directed by Matt Ripa .  Produced by Pinky Swear Productions . Reviewed by Debbie Jackson

Benched is the first of two one act plays which form one production in the two production reportory series The Unclear Family: A Repertory.

—————————–

Not known for shying away from tough emotional topics, playwright Renee Calarco tackles the unfolding, revealing mess of a couple’s life in Bleed.  It’s a tough scene to watch but easy to appreciate the artistry as the characters transition from frivolity to blubbering mess.

In the evening glow on a playground just outside the door of post-celebration frivolity, Marla and Dez work through their idiosyncrasies with an eerie ease, looking like early versions of couples from Pinter or Albee.

As Marla, Karen Lange starts off with a tipsy banter of issues that begins innocently enough, from Matron of Honor behaving badly at her sister’s wedding to being green with envy at her sister’s unearned luck of marrying into a rich family and being set for life financially.  How her husband, Dez, played patiently by Francisco Reinoso, keeps up his steady support is beyond the scope of imagination and reason.

And yet he does, remaining steadfast while she discounts him as a provider and hurls abuse and disregard.  Despite it all, (with no help from the script as to why), he remains calm except for a quick flare-up when he snatches the expensive wine bottle from her grasping hands and smashes the glass on the playground.  After that, he lets all the hysterical accusations slide off, continues to tend to her needs, even kneels to slip her shoe on like Prince Charming and bandages her bleeding foot with his neck tie.

The performances are commendable, especially from Reinoso when the script reveals a tragic backstory, a crushing blow to his own valiant attempts to hold it together.  After that, the piece spirals downward into a self-induced caldron of despair with no place to go.  With the action stalled, the audience is fixated on the broken glass pieces, and with Lange gingerly walking around in bare feet, it’s like looking away from at an accident waiting to happen.

Bench and Bleed work well together as both take place in a playground, with Bleed requiring a fully functioning adult size swing set, able to hold two adults whose moments of synchronized swinging depicts their unshakeable bond, no matter what’s said or not said. More importantly, both dwell on the importance of support from loved ones, either life partners or loving friends, to get through life’s invariable twists and turns.

Both plays are part of a repertory Unclear Family: A Reportory with Smudge by Rachel Axel.

————-

Bleed . by Renee Calarco . Directed by Matt Ripa . Produced by Pinky Swear Productions . Reviewed by Debbie Jackson

Bleed is the second of two one act plays which form one production in the two production reportory series The Unclear Family: A Repertory.