[NEohioPAL] Berko review: '2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE --seen on 1-18-08

[Roy Berko]

Disappointing opening at Fourth Wall Productions’ new
venue

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times
	
C00LCLEVELAND.COM

After giving Fourth Wall Productions’ ‘MALICIOUS
BUNNY’ several Times Theatre Tributes last season,
including one for Outstanding Play,  I was looking
forward to seeing ‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE,’ the
theatre’s first production of its second season.

Unfortunately, my positive expectations were dashed.  

Joseph Gallo’s ‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE’ is a sophomoric
script, obsessed with redundant sexual commentary, 
sexual innuendos and excessive references to body
parts, for no obvious reason.   In a well-developed
piece of writing such references have a purpose in
moving the plot forward.  In ‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE’
they appear to be included for titillation and the
author implying “I’m young and hip and can say
whatever I want, and young hip members of the audience
will love it.”

My view of the script may be a minority evaluation. 
According to the program, Gallo’s play had a reading
at the Soho Think Tank in New York and was “really
well-received.”  (I have no idea who received it
“well” as that wasn’t explained.)  

Even if the script had been sterling, the level of
directing, and much of the acting, left much to be
desired.

The director, in his self-proclaimed directorial
debut, did little to help the audience gain the intent
and purpose of the writer.  (Maybe he, like me,
couldn’t figure out what Gallo was trying to tell the
viewer.)  The pacing was inconsistent, there was
little action, some of the acting sounded like
unexpressive statements of memorized lines, and the
casting was confusing.  Two of the three men were
supposed to have been former college football players.
 One was a winner of the Heisman Trophy as the best
collegiate player in the country, the other received a
tryout with a pro team.  Unfortunately, the Heisman
winner looked like an undersized college freshman and
the pro player more like a cross-country runner. 
Moral:  if a show requires certain physical types, and
you don’t have them available, don’t do the show.  You
can’t fake required physical descriptions.

Of the three actors, only Nate Bigger had the acting
chops to make his character’s lines consistently
believable. 

Capsule judgement:  If Fourth Wall is going to be
taken seriously as a viable theatre it has to chose
scripts that deserve production and stage them in a
way that makes audiences want to return.  They need to
do more ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY’-type productions.  They’ve
proven they are capable of that level of excellence. 
Let’s hope in the future they return to that level.

‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE’ is being staged by Fourth Wall
Productions at their new home, Suite 221, the
Enterprise Center of Glenville, through January 27. 
For tickets call 330-283-2442 or visit
www.fourthwallproductions.com.    

The theatre’s next show is ‘JUST SHY OF CLOSURE’ by
David Allan.  According to the advanced publicity, the
play “asks if there is such a thing anymore as a
private life.”  It will be staged from March 20th
through the 30th.


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


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