Love?Actually
Directed by Christina Rios
R-S Theatrics
September 1, 2016
Eileen Engel, Lindsay Gingrich
Photo by Michael Young
R-S Theatrics
R-S Theatrics starts out it new season at Westport Playhouse this year, tackling the subject of (possibly) unrequited love. Billed as “Love?Actually”, their latest show is really two one-act shows and a cabaret, featuring a talented cast of actors and singers. Everything is simply staged, but that helps to highlight the excellent performances.
The first part of the evening was an inventive cabaret segment called “Out of a Bowl”, titled as such because of its format. Audience members were brought on stage to pull slips of paper from a bowl, determining which performers would sing and in what order. There were two solos, two duets, and a group number, along with a hilarious sketch by Colleen Backer featuring a Mount Rushmore tour guide on her last day of work, and her ingenious way of getting revenge on her boss, who is also her ex-lover. The songs were a mixture of musical theatre and pop, well-performed by the excellent cast members, including Lindsay Gingrich with a hilarious rendition of “Gooch’s Song” from Mame, Kelvin Urday with an emotional rearrangement of “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers, and Omega Jones and Eileen Engel with a gloriously over-the-top performance of “The Song That Goes Like This” from Spamalot. Everyone is excellent here, and the selection of singers and songs is likely to change every performance, so the audience is in for a pleasant surprise.
Act 2 was a performance of Steven Serpa’s short opera “Thyrsis and Amaranth”, in which a pair of bridesmaids at a wedding sing about their feelings of love. Thyrsis (Lindsay Gingrich) and Amaranth (Eileen Engel) are close friends who grew up together. Thyrsis is clearly in love with Amaranth and allows herself to hope that her feelings are returned, as Amaranth sings of feelings for the initially unnamed object of her affections. As she agonizes over how to express her love, the bride, groom, wedding guests and workers pass by in the background, playing out their own silent little stories that serve as a backdrop to the main plot. Both lead performers sing superbly, and the real sense of affection is obvious and apparent between both characters. Gingrich is particularly affecting as the lovestruck, melancholy Thyrsis, and Engel is also convincing as the more cheerful Amaranth.
Next up in the evening’s performances is “21 Chump Street” a one-act musical by one of Broadway’s most talked-about composer-performers, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The hip-hop and pop-based score is characteristic of Miranda’s style, and the subject matter is engaging and thought-provoking. Set in a Florida high school, the show starts out as a seemingly routine story of a promising young student, Justin (Kelvin Urday) developing a crush on a new student, Naomi (Natasha Toro). What Justin doesn’t know, however, is that “Naomi” is actually a 25-year-old undercover police officer who has been planted at the school to find and arrest drug dealers, and the unwitting, infatuated Justin is caught in her trap. This is an excellent, extremely provocative show, exploring various issues such as abuse of authority, teenage drug use and whether or not marijuana should even be illegal in the first place. All of the performers are excellent, especially Urday as the devoted Justin, Toro as the determined officer, and Sarajane Alverson as the narrator/teacher/interviewer. They are supported by a strong, energetic ensemble (Kevin J. Corpuz, Omega Jones, and Phil Leveling) as Justin’s classmates. There’s a lot here in this very short piece–humor, drama, conflict, and controversy, and it’s performed with utmost excellence.
The acting and singing is well supported by the technical aspects, with effective set design by Keller Ryan, strong lighting by Nathan Schroeder, and well-suited costumes by Amy Harrison. The production fits well into the small space at the Westport Playhouse, as well. It’s an ideal showcase for R-S Theatrics’ talented ensemble, exploring the complexities and confusions of love that isn’t necessarily requited.
Natasha Toro, Kelvin Urday
Photo by Michael Young
R-S Theatrics
“Love?Actually” is being presented by R-S Theatrics at the Westport Playhouse until September 18, 2016.
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