Dance, interpretation, mysticism and the Mahabharata

by Jenni Morin

When a new original work comes onto the scene, it is surrounded by curiosity, excitement and obvious creativity. From the Mahabharata: The Great Dance-Off, AtticRep’s latest production to grace the Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater stage at the Tobin Center, embodies all the anticipatory energy encompassing its premiere, along with a welcome mysticism.

AtticRep's From the Mahabharata: The Great Dance-Off.
Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

Billed as part of the San Antonio International Festival of Performance, the impetus behind From the Mahabharata hails back to last summer’s Forum Theatre Project, a collaboration of experimental theatre tackling the subject of skin tone between AtticRep and Chennai, India-based Crea-Shakthi Theatre. In an effort to continue infusing international views and aesthetics into the AtticRep season and bring cultural appreciation to local audiences, Producing Artistic Director Roberto Prestigiacomo created and directed From the Mahabharata with the help of choreographers Kausi Subramaniam and Seme Jatib, local dancers, and composer Reena Esmail who devised the original score recorded by San Antonio’s SOLI Chamber Ensemble. Carrying on the theme of Indian culture, the dance-theatre production is inspired by and mimics the story of the ancient epic poem, the Mahabharata. Presented as a dance company debating whether contemporary or traditional style of dance is the appropriate means for illustrating the great Indian saga, From the Mahabharata employs the theme of war, which predominates the Sanskrit text, to bring the action to the climax of the dance-off between the rivaling dance styles.

Since the premise of the production is that the dance company is in rehearsal, the dancers are not quite synchronized or as crisp as a polished recital. This rawness reiterates the experience of attending a premiere, especially as the audience is invited to feel as though they are part of the process in creating this work. While the acting leaves something to be desired, the few scenes of prose readings are both entertaining and insightful. One storyteller chronicles the confusing genealogy of princes as another exchanges offers insight into Dharma, karma, serenity and the path to enlightenment. These scenes speak to the complexity, tradition and constant need for self-evolution in not only Indian culture, but all of humanity.

A string box contains the dance floor as a balanced display of both Indian and contemporary styles set the scene and crescendo into the dance-off in perfect rhythm with Reena Esmail’s original score. Seme Jatib’s modern choreography seems ethereal as the long lines of the dancer’s bodies play against a somewhat smokey bare stage. Just as the staccato movements of Kausi Subramaniam’s traditional dances begin to feel repetitive, a change in tempo and mood revitalizes the action. Violinist Ananda Nadayogi enhances the experience with live accompaniament while Scenic Designer Jeremiah Teutsch brings puppets to life. Along with an evocative lighting design by Gaila Raymer, an undulating liquid seemed manipulated by the dancers as they moved in front of the projection, their shadows cast against the colored forms. The production design coupled with the choreography reflects the magic and mystery synonymous with Indian culture.

Not a traditional theatre production in the least, or an expected dance performance, From the Mahabharata is more of an experience, a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating performance art. It offers an energetic and exciting escape into an unfamiliar culture with a different take on the battle waged between old and new, contemporary and traditional. AtticRep’s From the Mahabharata: The Great Dance-Off is at times exhilarating, inspiring and thought-provoking if approached with an open mind and willingness to embrace a new cultural experience.


From the Mahabharata: The Great Dance-Off runs at the Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater at the Tobin Center through June 14 with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 2:30 p.m.  Sunday. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit atticrep.org. 

4000 Miles goes the distance

by Jenni Morin

A road trip becomes an odyssey in Amy Herzog’s award-winning 4000 Miles as it tenderly examines the reality of dealing with loss. Now showing at the Cellar Theater through June 7, The Playhouse’s rendition of 4000 Miles raises the bar for local productions.

Cris Boneta and Sam Carter Gilliam as Leo and Vera in
4000 Miles at The Playhouse. Photo by Siggi Ragnar.

Leo arrives at his grandmother’s Manhattan apartment early in the morning after biking across the country. Having experienced a huge tragedy along the way, his family and friends are increasingly worried about his well-being. His inability to deal with what has happened strains his relationship with his girlfriend Bec. Vera, although initially surprised to have a houseguest, becomes accustomed to Leo’s presence, which allows her to release her irritating neighbor from having to check up on her. Leo spends his days rock climbing and avoiding his life, and when he attempts to have a one night stand with Amanda, it ends with him alone in the dark then finally detailing the whole bike trip incident for Vera. When Vera's neighbor passes, they share a poignant moment of mutual understanding and empathy.

As Vera and Leo slowly gain momentum, it becomes clear their paths have become intertwined for this brief moment in time. Journey and distance are constant themes, but rather than the cliched undertones of spirituality or personal awareness, Herzog allows the characters to be lost. The beauty of 4000 Miles is that it gives each character a level of respect to hold their most troubling and defining milestones close rather they splaying them out to be trampled on and judged.
This sweet and witty dramatic comedy is glimpse into the lives of a very odd couple, made up of a 21-year-old modern hippie and a 91-year-old Marxist grandmother, who find solace in silence. A delicate truthful interaction, 4000 Miles is a perfect therapy session with a spunky grandmother uncensored from imparting the wisdom of her years and experience. It’s as much about growth together as it is about personal growth and finding the strength to move past tragedy and accept life for what it’s become.

In an exceptionally impressive performance, Sam Carter Gilliam leads the cast as Vera. Without overwhelming the stage, she commands it with a quiet tenacity full of judgmental looks and a signature gait. Cris Boneta as Leo portrays the angsty grandson floundering in his loneliness. Together with Gilliam, Boneta creates touching moments and well-timed humor. Lilly Canaria’s Amanda character unfortunately gives her little to work with, coming off vapid and flighty, while Kristin Richards does a commendable job as Bec and shines in her awkward encounters with Vera.

Director Bill Gundry masters the silent moments, filling them with humor and affection. All of the technical aspects fell into place to create a very real escape into the lives of Leo and Vera. A magnificently decorated and detailed set by Ryan Deroos brought Vera’s apartment to life from the crocheted doilies to the rotary phone to the cups and saucers, along with other trifles from properties master Janis Kelly. Megan Reilly’s lighting transitioned well from night to day and defied shadows for the most part, giving each trinket and detail its own spotlight. Incidental sounds and transitional interludes tempered Pat Smith’s sound design, while Crystal Wilderson’s costumes were fitting for each character, even eccentric Amanda. Aside from tightening some transitions, the show was scrupulously well executed and engaging through to the last heartwarming moment.

The Playhouse’s 4000 Miles is a simple story made better by a talented team of technicians and actors who fill the silences with humor and compassion. The Cellar Theater provides the quintessential setting for this intimate glimpse into the converging paths of two generations with differing approaches for gaining perspective in the face of loss.


4000 Miles runs at The Playhouse Cellar Theater through June 7 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 3 p.m. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit theplayhousesa.org.

Rumors: You know what they say about assuming

by Jenni Morin

Neil Simon's popular farce Rumors, now playing at The Sheldon Vexler Theatre through May 31, is a staple in community theatre repertoires due to its snowballing chaos and rising tensions. While examining the effect gossip has on relationships and perceptions, Rumors also brings out the inherent humor in assumptions and inane cover stories.

The play opens on the panicked Chris and Ken Gorman who have just found their friend Charlie Brock unconscious and bleeding from a gunshot wound upon arriving for a party for his tenth anniversary with his wife Myra, who is nowhere to be found. After getting ahold of Dr. Dudley to help treat Charlie, Ken realizes it's a superficial wound on his earlobe and he's in a Valium-induced sleep. Friends of the Brocks, Lenny and Claire arrive after having been in a car accident and speculate the missing hosts have to do with rumors of an affair, then Ken lets them in on the situation. As the other guests arrive, they must keep inventing excuses for the missing party hosts and absent staff. They seemingly convince the other guests, Ernie and Cookie Cusack, that everything is fine and even to cook their own dinner, until a second gunshot, rendering Ken momentarily deaf, raises further questions. Genn and Cassie Cooper arrive bickering about another rumored affair and everyone seems to get injured in some way as the first act culminates in a screaming, aching, exasperated tableau of chaotic desperation. Everyone has been filled in after dinner when the second act opens and they all decide to blame Ken. A mysterious woman calls for Glenn, making them think it's Glenn who Myra is having the affair with, causing Cassie to go ballistic. The police show up to investigate Lenny's car accident and seem satisfied with their answers until Glenn accidentally mentions the gunshots. Lenny, pretending to be Charlie, tells an impromptu story explaining the entire evening, which seems to satisfy the officers. Once they leave, Charlie offers to tell the real story of what happened.

Simon weaves a warning against gossip and assumptions into the chaos of Rumors to add a message to the otherwise mass confusion. Each of the characters has their own rumor-worthy secrets, which are revealed as accusations in many cases. Amidst the confusion and lies, Simon manages to leave evidence of not only the nature of the characters in crisis, but also of their backstories. This gives the farce a little more substance than those that seem to leave the audience constantly discovering pieces to the plot puzzle until it finally makes sense. Despite the depth of this farce, Rumors still requires a fast-paced and precise execution in order to build and maintain momentum. Simultaneously, the characters must remain frazzled while still being able to repeat the evolving volley of lies meant to explain the current predicament. The believability of the entire production rests on the ability of the actors to personify every clue given about their characters, rather than the plausibility of the situation itself.

The Vex production of Rumors has plenty of comical moments guided by director Michael Burger. Chad A. Miller's sound pairs perfectly with Ken Frasier's lights and set. Dylan Brainard even introduced a new character in his props with an extra long phone cord responsible for several humorous binds, literally. While all of Sophia Bolles' evening attire is fitting for the status of the characters, the description of Cookie's dress is not representative of the only one described in the dialogue. While the production faces inconsistencies in pacing, it isn't without its shining moments and some stand out cast members.

Scott Leibowitz leads the show as Lenny Ganz, keeping the cast on tempo and commanding the stage for his explanatory monologue. Chelsea Ortuno as Cassie Cooper and Robert Gonzalez as Glenn Cooper have great stage chemistry with one of the most engaging scenes of the show. Ben Scharff presents a steady Ernie Cusack with well-timed outbursts. Theresa Bishop's Claire Ganz is both snarky and detached while Jared Stephens as Ken Gorman brings the opposite with high-energy hysteria. Carlos Alvarado as Officer Welch holds his own as his partner officer Pudney played by Erin Polewski holds her own as the strong silent type. Cookie Cusack, played by Lisa Fritschle, seems more odd than eccentric, while Megan Van Dyke's character Chris Gorman is always on the brink of hysteria and more in need of Valium than a cigarette.

Never a dull moment, Rumors keeps audiences guessing as the characters make assumptions, spy and gossip until relieved by an official explanation. The Vex production of Rumors is a fun romp and one of the few farce plot that can be followed thanks to a few talented actors worth the ticket.


Rumors will run at The Sheldon Vexler Theatre through May 31, 2015 with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.vexler.org.

Love to hate & hate to love Chekhov

by Jenni Morin

As the most produced play this season according to American Theatre magazine, Christopher Durang's 2013 Tony winner for best play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, is a ridiculous mélange of Chekhov's characters and themes brilliantly mashed with his unique brand of culture criticism. The Classic Theatre production, now showing through May 17, pays homage to both Durang and Chekhov in a hilarious and perfectly cast tonic.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is set at the estate of middle aged siblings, Vanya and Sonia, who have come to accept their pointless existence, not without complaining, after spending their youth caring for their ailing aging parents. Professors and community theatre enthusiasts, their parents named all their children after Chekhov characters. Masha, their sister, is an actress who pays for the estate and comes home to disrupt their depressingly mundane lives to attend a costume party. In an attempt to desperately cling to her fame, youth and beauty, she bullies everyone, including a neighbor girl Nina,  into being the supporting cast to her Snow White costume for the party. Sonia refuses to be one of Masha's dwarfs and insists on being Maggie Smith as the evil queen, upstaging Masha's costume and boosting her confidence in possibly meeting someone at the party. Meanwhile, Cassandra the housekeeper, who has premonitions just like her Greek namesake, warns against several threats, which everyone ignores until they come true. Masha's visit has brought out the charm of Sonia as she receives an invitation for a date and the confidence of Vanya who decides to share a reading of his play, inspired by Konstantin's symbolist play in The Seagull. Spike rudely answers a text during the reading, which sets off Vanya into a tirade about how things used to be in the 50s. Masha discovers Spike is involved with her assistant and send him packing. Employing a voodoo doll, Cassandra convinces Masha not to sell the house and the three siblings end with a tableau of contentment in their house by the cherry orchard.

Durang quickly explains most of the Chekhov references throughout the play as they come up, making it just as humorous for those unfamiliar with the Russian master. Beyond the obvious similarities in character names and preoccupations, themes of selling the family estate and Konstantin's play within a play, Durang, like Chekhov, introduces a wide range of well developed characters. This makes it easy to relate to the melodramatic tantrums and empathetically and emphatically experience the ups and downs of their tumultuous relationships. Durang may in fact be tapping into some of the humor Chekhov intended, which never seems to come across through the dark clouds hanging over his subtext-laden works. However, some of the deeper Chekhovian themes are embodied by Vanya then poured out in his monologue, which feels like a reflection of personal frustrations of the playwright. From lusting after an unattainable young mate to the younger generation's materialism to environmental sustainability, Durang offers a rich script that is as meta theatrical as it is entertaining, yet exceedingly difficult to execute well.

The Classic Theatre production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is exceptionally well executed. Under the skillful direction of Diane Malone, each technical element highlighted, without overpowering, an incredibly talented ensemble. Both lighting by Steven Starr and sound by Rick Malone were respectfully well balanced, unobtrusive and restrained, pairing nicely with Karen Arredondo's functional set. While Kitty Williams' costumes, especially Sonia's party outfit, provided their own subtext, a special mention must go to Jan O'Neill for smashable mugs and the best teapot.

From Anna Gangai's (Sonia) impeccable comedic timing to Emily Spicer's (Masha) icy facial expressions, this cast flawlessly delivered every bipolar moment. Gangai's Sonia is undeniably endearing as the audience is on the edge of their seats during the entire one-sided phone conversation with a potential suitor. John O'Neill (Vanya) and Gangai are perfect compliments, marching to the sounds of their own piccolo, as he so gently steers his adopted sister back to a sunny disposition. O'Neill's lengthy monologue about the past is animated and charged with frustrations of society's audacious improvements that have left the simplicity and communal experience of the past behind. Danielle King as Cassandra energizes the Russian melancholy with a flourish of comedy uniquely her own. Spicer gives Masha an extra touch of humanity and hilarity in her uncomfortable interactions with Nina and suggestive moments with Spike. John Stillwaggon performs an entertaining audition scene, but like McKenna Liesman (Nina) has been given little to work with from Durang.

Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is the answer to updating Chekhov and bringing his works to a new audience, while simultaneously allowing Chekhov fans to laugh at the undeniably depressing works. The production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at The Classic Theatre is rousing and entertaining, offering an accessible and approachable script for all.



Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will run at the Classic Theatre through May 17, 2015 with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit classictheatre.org.

The Shamed Schlongless

by Jenni Morin

It's not every day to be privy to the inner-workings of the male psyche, especially when discussing the particularly sensitive topic of penile measurements. This is the centerpiece of The Irish Curse, the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival hit by Martin Casella. AtticRep's production of The Irish Curse, now playing at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater through April 5, is a humorous yet poignant search for male identity beyond the cock.

The Irish Curse refers to the notion that Irish males have small penises and so the play centers around a support group of men dealing with their cursed fate. While Rick, Joseph and Stephen have been meeting with Father Kevin Shaunessy in the church basement every Wednesday for months, Keiran, the newcomer for the evening, shifts the group's complaining session to one of real therapy and discussion. As each man details his life experience centered on the size of his member, Keiran pushes each to divulge a little more. Father Kevin finally reveals his story and then it is up to Keiran to finish the meeting with his.

The play is exactly what is expected and at the same time is suspenseful and surprising. It is as raw as it is cliche as the characters rattle off every cultural and ethnic stereotype about penis size, then reveal how this one small member has profoundly shaped their lives. Casella's script is so well crafted that it gently pushes ruckus humor to earnest confessions nearly imperceptibly. The discussion is uncomfortable in nature, but the constant barrage of cursing and derogatory name-calling makes it even more ridiculous that the men can't move past a popular belief and be comfortable with all the other features that define them. The men find freedom, reprieve and solace in camaraderie as they try to explain the reasoning and truth behind their actions, but they still must carry this new self awareness beyond the group and into their everyday lives. In their defense, the matter of size is at the root of everything from vehicle selection to war to racial tensions and politics. It is their self-esteem that takes a beating as they make comparisons in the locker room and the increasingly sexualized media defines their worth and the expectations of romantic partners. At its core, The Irish Curse is about discovering what it means to be a man, defining masculinity and acknowledging the true curse of the perceived inadequacies inflicted on them by society.

Before the production even begins, a soundtrack of humorous small penis tunes gets the audience chuckling during pre-show. Directors Seth Larson and Roberto Prestigiacomo start the show lighthearted and usher the audience through waves of emotions ranging from laugh-crying to heart-wringing empathy. Purely in blocking, the seeming game of musical chairs the characters play to make sure each one is seen by every side of the audience is masterfully choreographed. Scenic designer Rick Frederick and lighting designer Gaila Raymer display their talent through realism and detailing. While the lighting is mostly stagnant, save for rain pounding on the small windows, it nicely compliments the stale basement set dressed to the nines with an angelic birdbath statue, light fixtures and dusty crucifixes.

From the awkwardness to the sock-stuffing to the soul-bearing, each and every actor in the cast makes a lasting impression. Alejandro Cardona as Rick Baldwin kicks off the show with cheerful bravado and a false sense of security. His youth, hopefulness and willingness to keep fighting the urge to let the curse win gives each one a little faith. Tyler Keyes plays Stephen Fitzgerald, the tall handsome tough gay cop, with a gruff exterior and empathetic heart. Keyes' booming voice reminds the men to butch up and play the offensive to avoid rejection and pain. As Joseph Flaherty, Lawrence Coop embodies the most devastating backstory of a shy man foolish enough to believe love triumphs all. It is his cautionary tale that inspired the formation of the group and what keeps them coming back. Rick Frederick takes on the internally conflicted Father Kevin Shaunessy with poise and virtue. His confession compels each of the men to dissect how they have faced the curse. Finally, Sam Mandelbaum as the sweet lost soul Keiran Riley is endearing from soaking wet entrance to confident exit. By his prompting, every man shares, feels and thinks more about the power the curse really has.

This incredibly talented cast is expertly directed and manages to entertain, possibly offend, all while exploring a clandestine topic that rocks the very core of gender identity. AtticRep's The Irish Curse is the mirror theatre holds up to the world with a spotlight on humor and a new perspective as the takeaway. It is a roller coaster of emotions as it uncovers fresh perspectives to get the real answer to what truly is the Irish curse.


The Irish Curse runs at the Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater at the Tobin Center through April 5 with performances at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit atticrep.org.

El Corazón del Bolero

by Jenni Morin

José Rubén De León, musician, performer and founder of Teatro Farolito, breaths new life into bolero music with El Corazón del Bolero performed at The Classic Theatre one weekend only beginning March 20 with limited tickets remaining.

José Rubén De León, Aaron Ellington Prado and George Prado
 in concert at The Classic performing bolero music.

Billed as a tribute to male and female bolero composers from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico which offers solace, company and warmth to the heart, El Corazón del Bolero promises to touch on all aspects of amore. As Columbian writer Gabriel García Marquez has remarked, it is difficult to put all that bolero expresses into words. De León says this particular collection of romantic songs touches on pledges of eternal love, bitter disappointment and unrequited love through alluring melodies, intoxicating lyrics and soulful laments.

The program, written and performed by De León, accompanied by Aaron Ellington Prado on piano and George Prado on bass, pays homage to José Pepe Sánchez, the first Cuban bolero musician who drew from Italian opera and French-Haitian music. He is regarded as the Father of the Cuban bolero, originating the genre in Santiago do Cuba with “Tristezas” in the late 19th century. Next, bolero travels through the Caribbean and Latin America. In the late 1920s, Nilo Menéndez and Adolofo Utrera compose “Aquellos ojos verdes” and bring bolero to an international audience with Spanish and English versions hitting the charts. As North American jazz and musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong became popular, arrangers and guitar accompanists were instrumental in the Cuban movement to focus bolero on feeling the music. Bolero today still remains a true expression of love and passion with lulling ballads infused with energetic rhythms.

This journey through the origins and evolution of bolero features an incredibly talented musician and composer in his own right. José Rubén De León will transport audiences to Cuba and back again through beautiful melodies and amorous lyrics.


El Corazón del Bolero plays at The Classic Theatre Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit classictheatre.org.

A Numbers Game: Four humorous debates

by Jenni Morin

The Overtime Theater and The Southwest Association of Literary and Dramatic Artists take a popular idiom to the stage with A Numbers Game, now showing through April 11. The title phrase insists there's a manipulation by the characters and they certainly do make a point of choosing what to believe and what not to believe in various situations. At it's core, there is a willingness to accept or deny the truth, reality and even reason, all with a good dose of humor.

Written and directed by Emily Fitzgerald, co-founder of SWALDA, A Numbers Game presents four separate scenarios of relationships. First, a group of friends plays a game of "I Never" until it is broken up by the father of the hostess who stopped by to say goodbye before a rather unusual trip. As the couple disagrees about the validity of the father's story, the hostess becomes defensive. Both relationship and friendship seem to be at an impass as the three are left to decide for themselves which reality to accept. The second short titled "Immortality" discusses a new couple making a very unconventional agreement to have a child together. Both feel this will complete their lives in different ways, while their friends are skeptical it will be as fulfilling and simple as they intend. "Love is Madness," the third story, features a bold and imaginative way for a guy to meet a girl so he can ask her out on a date. As they try to figure one another out, testing the waters, it's clear expectations have been set for their relationship going forward. Finally, "The Journey" ends the quartet of scenes with a couple attempting to use therapy as a means of reconciliation. After discovering the interesting side business of the receptionist, the couple finds a way to talk about subjects and situations they swore never to broach again, bringing them closer and eliminating their need for intensive therapy.

All four actors skillfully portrayed very discernibly different characters throughout each scene. Miguel DiCostanzo's best performance of the night comes in the third short as he plays Julian, an awkward yet intelligent and surprisingly romantic German lit student. Jay Overton does well to play two very different characters in the first scene's hippie ambassador Ed and George, the more reasonable, yet supportive, counterpart to DiCostanzo's Marc. Sarah Nixon as Morgan and Rosie pairs especially well with DiCostanzo in the scenes where they couple up. She also offers two very independent women in the wry Maggie and eccentric DeeDee. Finally, there is Christine Quattro who goes from laid-back butch to timid country girl to uptight control freak. While there were moments actors broke character, they were steadfast in their representations.

Each scene is somewhat color-coded with the costumes matching one of the flats at the back of the set. It was a clever device for further distinguishing the scenes, but slightly disappointing the colors went in order from left to right. The set beyond the panels is very basic, which is fitting for the various settings needed. Costuming is modern and appropriate to each character and not too obviously color-coded for every scene. The use of the TV monitor as an additional piece of scenery felt unnecessary and mostly distracting. It's graphics rather than photographic images took much of the seriousness out of the scenes, perhaps on purpose. Despite some possibly faulty lighting equipment, the minimalist execution in lighting was very well done. The sound was slightly off in the volume department, but offered some humorous relief, especially in the last scene. Perhaps the most notable technical elements of the production were the props, which added much-needed grounding.

Fitzgerald starts a few interesting debates between her characters, which become less serious as the scenes progress. Perhaps a change in the order of the shorts would allow for a more thought-provoking ending, but it seems that may result in an unintended connection between plots. The first scene poses the most interesting question by far as it analyzes the need for truth and the difference between a believed reality and what's real. This theme could have carried more heavily throughout the following scenes, but instead more questions are brought to the table along the general theme of belief versus reality. Each scene delves just far enough into the questions to create a debate, but also offers a succinct conclusion so there's little desire left for further discussion. The scenes are great for a short trip into deep thought, but the humor and some of the ridiculous situations bring a lightness to the whole exercise.

A Numbers Game is a light-hearted, humorous and, at times, ridiculous exploration of some deep philosophical and ethical debates. The Overtime Theater and SWALDA offer an opportunity to laugh and think, be entertained and challenged, without too much commitment.


A Numbers Game plays at The Overtime Theater through April 11 with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and Thursdays in April, at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 22 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 29. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.theovertimetheater.org.