Sadly, this year's Artists Festival is over. It has been the best to date, with expectations even higher for next year. As for Program Five of the Fest:
Bride on the Rocks by David Wiener, with Lia Metz directing Michelle de Francesco and Dave Rethoret. Wiener explores a bride's agony at being left at the altar. The bride, Andrea (de Francesco), bemoans her fate to the bar tender (Rethoret). It is obvious that she has passed her limit of shots; however, her emotions are so high that she keeps crying, ranting and carrying on in a tour de force of emotions. Rethoret attempts to be the voice of reason. Excellent performances with a touching ending.
Okra Curry on the AMTRAK by Madhushree Ghosh and directed by Leslie Ridgeway. Jolene Hui and D'Ann Paton share the stage. Two women meet on a train. One is young with an attitude; the other is a middle-aged woman originally from India and carrying a plastic container of her excellent okra curry. Both women have secrets: the despicability of the males in their lives. The young one's man beats her; the older one's husband used to beat her. A warning is made to all men who beat their women: a really good, well-seasoned okra curry masks the flavor of rat poison.
No Shoulder penned by Nina Shengold, directed by Janene Possell, with actresses Peg Humphrey and Michelle Kendall. An older woman is driving late at night on PCH, in western Washington. She stops to pick-up a young hitchhiker (Michelle Kendall). They both begin by evading the truth. After a shared smoke, some truths come out. Humphrey is too soft spoken, and when the sound effects are up, even Kendall's projection is weak. The characters do bond as they drive on. Director Possell has a problem keeping Humphrey's eyes on the road for long stretches of dialogue. Alas, when they crash into a semi, we all knew it would happen. The effect, while good, could be more definitive in both lighting and sound. This script needs one more rewrite.
The Madness of Lady Bright by Lanford Wilson under Joey Landwehr's direction, starring Gareth Fisher, Nick Mata and Sandra Ruiz. Manhattan summers can be cruelly hot, and many denizens escape to more pleasant climes. Lady Bright (Nick Mata), a most raging queen, seems to be the only one left on the island. His calls are in vain (that is, unless you accept a Dial-a-Prayer offering of the day). Gareth Fisher and Sandra Ruiz are his past. While the lighting effects define the past well, Mata doesn't offer us a substantial shift in delivery to denote the change. Still an interesting interpretation of the seldom- done Wilson piece.
Cold Beer scribed by Leslie Ridgeway, directed by Angela Miller, with actors June Gottleib, Leslie Ridgeway and Christopher Wylie. Last year, Ridgeway's offer -- a fun romp about what one does at the end of the world -- made it to Best of the Fest. This time, aliens have colonized earth as a brewery of some really rotten, bland beer. The occupiers insist that all live in sterile government housing. Your rebellious one (Leslie Ridgeway) has a serious problem with this and will fight to the bitter end. Her mother (June Gottleib) is compliant, looking forward to the two-bedroom high rise. Christopher Wylie plays a childhood friend working for the aliens' interests. He has convinced mom and himself of the benefits of the new digs and the benevolence of the aliens. Well, that is until the rebel brings out two pints of my favorite beer, Arrogant Bastard Ale by Escondido's Stone Brewery. Ah, I can taste it now.
