Program Three of the Actors Alliance Festival was yet another success. On the Corner of Art and Solita Street, by Sandra Ruiz, with Bryant Hernandez directing. The cast includes Sylvia Enrique, Megan Fonseca, Larissa Garcia, John Harris, Sophia Kostas and Sandra Ruiz. It's Christmas at the Cortez family home. Mom is a beautiful woman with two lovely kids and, as usual, her husband is away on a "business trip." Her mother and father are there along with her sister, who apparently doesn't have the wealth experienced by her younger sister. She does, however, have her own mysterious reality. Grandfather speaks only in Spanish. A slice of dramatic life.
The Saddest Man I Ever Met, by Karen Paull, who produced and directed Sal Cipolla. In just five minutes, we see the very soul of this clown, whose wife and kids deserted him and his circus ways. As the title implies, this is one sad clown. Very nice job by Cipolla.
The Oldest Profession, penned by Paula Vogel. Katherine Forbes directs. June Gottleib, Peg Humphrey, Elaine Litton, Toni Perkins and Mai-Lon Wong star. And these hookers are even older than this reviewer -- well most of them. They have their corner and have had it for many years. This is a segment from a full-length play first produced in 1981. The ladies discuss Reaganomics as well as last night's take. They service an older population that has its own problems with sexual encounters. The ladies suffer from arthritis and other aging problems, but still ply their chosen profession with elan. The best line is "we're not meals on wheels." The laughs never stop.
To Hear a Distant Tune, written and produced by Michael Thomas Tower and directed by Ximena Paola Herschberg who cast Lucy Ann Albert, Katherine Forbes and Michael Thomas Tower. Brother and Sister, well past retirement age, have lived together all their lives in the family home. A visitor, an old lady friend, travels many miles by bus to bring a message to the brother -- a sad/happy message and a very interesting, life-changing message.
Wired Dreams, by Cuauhtemoc Q. Kish, who also produced and directed. The cast includes Diep Huynh and Dave Park with Sarah Park on cello (Park's chords signal time changes in this multi-scene play). The location is a World War II interment camp. Two Japanese men begin with single-word conversations and finally have limited dialogue. As their conversations extend, they move from opposite ends of a long table to sitting side-by-side. Playwright Kish provides an interesting twist at the end.
