KAMPFIRE PR
  • KampFIRE PR
  • Kampfire News Room
  • Kampfire Klippings
    • KampFIRE Calendar
  • About Us
    • Join our Mailing List
    • Client Testimonials
    • KampFIRE Media Kits
    • Kampfire Services
    • Kase Studies
    • Kampfire Archives
  • KampFIRE Films

New York Theatre Review: Gentrifusion

2/9/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Gentrifusion 
reviewed by Jody Christopherson

Walking toward the subway at 12:45pm in my Crown Heights neighborhood on the way to 
Red Fern Theatre Co’s production of Gentrifusion, a dude on the street offered to personally gentrify me, intimately and specifically. 

This made me angry (as it usually does) and I said a few things, and he said a few things, followed by gestures while police looked on, very little got accomplished and I went on my way to a Sunday matinee in the theatre. I have no idea who this man is, I probably couldn’t recognize him on the street tomorrow it happened so quickly. My impulse was to shut him out, protect myself. But I live there, not separate from him or our neighborhood.

At these intersections of interaction are the difficult places we have the opportunity to listen . . . even change. This is what theatre, unlike life can do for us, allow us a context in which to observe as we explore deeply personal issues. Gentrifusion is such a experience- 6 skilled writers (Jon Kern, Crystal Skillman, Michael John Garces, Joshua Conkel, Carla Ching, Janine Nabers) create realistic scenarios in which many perspectives exist and can be given equal weight, displaying destructive and constructive interconnectedness without sentimentality or safety.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the work:

Michael John Garces’ ghost story inhabited- 3 inhabitants (Molly Caden, Gio Perez, Michael Schantz) of haunted building witness their presence becoming a part of a buildings history, playing on fear of the past and the way the present informs the future. 

Crystal Skillman’s Crawl,- two brothers (Sheldon Best and Nathan Hinton) selling their Crown Heights family home after their real estate broker father passes away, look to move towards something better. A hilariously heart breaking search for home, based on a true story from a Crown Heights broker.

Joshua Conkel’s Robert Mapplethorpe Doesn’t Live Here Anymore- Andre St. Claire Thompson plays a acerbic vulnerable and gorgeous pre-op transvestite opposite Devin Norik’s adopted chinese baby toting affluent gay doctor, broaching the changing class scape between “queer people and gay people” in a gentrifying chelsea neighborhood losing and regaining it’s fierce authenticity. 

Janine Naber’s ominous play (2)11 is rife with stand out performances from Andrea Day as a young recently divorced mother ( ex-park slope dweller) who is held up at gun point with her newborn in a baby bjorn and Federico Trigo the police officer who interviews her and escorts her home (to his old and her new neighborhood, 11211).

Jon Kern’s Ours is the Future, Ours is the Past- couple, Lucy (Megan Tusing) and Max (Eugene Oh) relocate to 11211, their apartment is robbed. A violent and ultimately honest interaction ensues with local mechanic (Salvador Chevez) as they break the cycle of violence and separateness. 

Carla Ching’s First of the Month- with the talented trio- Rajesh Bose, Wayne T. Carr and Tiffany Villarin- everybody broke in broke neighborhoods, even people who seem like they have cash don’t. Most of us who have the money to live here without personal wealth have a few jobs and are lucky to be scrimping by while sharing a place with room mates. We really need each other to survive hard times. 

Would be truly exciting to see this is a collection of work travel into the communities represented; crown heights, chelsea, etc encouraging people who regularly attend theater and those who do not regularly attend to experience the piece together.

Gentrifusion: : an installation of new work

Playwrights include: Carla Ching, Joshua Conkel, Michael John Garcés, Jon Kern, Janine Nabers and Crystal Skillman

Directors include: John Giampietro, Colette Robert, and Moritz von Stuelpnagel

Artistic Producers: Andrea Day and Kel Haney

Executive Artistic Director: Melanie Moyer Williams

Full Cast List in Alphabetical Order:
Sheldon Best *, Rajesh Bose *, Tim Cain *, Molly Carden, Wayne T. Carr *, Salvadore Chevez, Gilbert Cruz *, Andrea Day, Nathan Hinton *, Devin Norik *, Eugene Oh, Gio Perez*, Casey Robinson, Michael Schantz, André St. Clair Thompson, Federico Trigo *, Megan Tusing, Tai Verley, and Tiffany Villarin

January 27 - February 13, 2011
The LABA Theatre At The 14th Street Y
344 East 14th Street between First and Second Avenues
4/5/6/N/R/Q to Union Square; L to First Avenue

Thursdays at 8 p.m. 
Fridays at 8 p.m. 
Saturdays at 8 p.m. 
Sundays at 3 p.m. (Super Bowl Sunday, February 6 at 2pm)

Additional performance on Monday, February 7 at 7pm.

Tickets are $25 and are now available online atwww.theatermania.com or by calling 866.811.4111. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater box office ½ hour prior to the performance.

Running Time: 120 minutes (with intermission)

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2013
    May 2013
    November 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    Categories

    All
    Ailey Citigroup Theater
    Andrea Day
    Apac
    A Wonderfully Flat Thing
    Bad Evidence
    Bruce Vilanch
    Cabot Parsons
    Captain Crash
    Carla Ching
    Cary Hoffman
    Charles Busch
    Children's Theater
    Children\'s Theater
    Children\'s Theater
    Crystal Skillman
    Dance
    Dixon Place
    El Gato Teatro
    Eric Rockwell
    Frank Sinatra
    Gabriella Barnstone
    Gentrifusion
    It Awards
    Janine Nabers
    Janine Nina Trevens
    Jon Kern
    Joshua Conkel
    Kdny Dance
    Laba Theater
    Laba Theatre
    League Of Professional Theatre Women
    Michael John Garces
    Midsummer Night's Dream
    Mother Of God!
    Music
    My Sinatra
    Nancy Manocherian
    Neuvo Lardo
    New Perspectives Theatre Company
    Ny1
    Nymf
    Off Broadway
    Off Off Broadway
    Off-Off Broadway
    One-Woman Show
    Performing Tribute
    Planet Connections
    Prison Dancer
    Puppets
    Queens Theatre In The Park
    Railroad Playhouse
    Red Fern Theatre Company
    Repertorio Espeñol
    Richmond Shepard Theatre
    Seth Soloway
    Stevie Ray Soloway
    TADA! Youth Theater
    The Bev Leslies
    The Cell
    The Hive Theater Company
    The Human Comedy
    The Passion Of The Hausfrau
    Tom Wojtunik
    Tony
    Wppac

    RSS Feed

    Label Out Loud, Order Now!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • KampFIRE PR
  • Kampfire News Room
  • Kampfire Klippings
    • KampFIRE Calendar
  • About Us
    • Join our Mailing List
    • Client Testimonials
    • KampFIRE Media Kits
    • Kampfire Services
    • Kase Studies
    • Kampfire Archives
  • KampFIRE Films