[NEohioPAL] Berko reviews: RUNT OF THE LITTER & A HANDSOME WOMAN RETREATS (CPH)

[Roy Berko]

FUSION FEST:  ‘RUNT OF THE LITTER’ and ‘A HANDSOME
WOMAN RETREATS’

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
LORAIN COUNTY TIMES--WESTLAKER TIMES--LAKEWOOD NEWS
TIMES--OLMSTED-FAIRVIEW TIMES

--COOLCLEVELAND.COM--

Cleveland Play House’s ‘FUSION FEST 08, is a wonderful
place to experience multi-arts.  It offers plays,
dance, new play readings, poetry slam, and one-person
shows.  You name it, it’s there.  Fusion Fest 08
continues through May 11.

‘RUNT OF THE LITTER’

Bo Eason, the author and sole performer of ‘RUNT OF
THE LITTER,’ spent five years as a professional
football player with the Houston Oilers.

‘RUNT OF THE LITTER,’ which is supposedly
semi-autobiographical, looks at what happens to two
brothers in their life paths.  One is expected to be a
super-star.  He does so with supposedly little real
effort.  The other, the younger and smaller of the
duo, is inspired to succeed in spite of his physical
and talent limitations and becomes almost maniacal in
his quest to play in the Super Bowl as a defensive
safety.

As we find out, though Jack Henry (the named used by
Bo in the play) thrived on the excitement and
financial rewards, he often wondered -- even while
standing in a huddle -- "What am I doing out here?"  
Especially when he compared himself, and others
compared him to his brother (in reality, former New
England Patriot’s superstar quarterback, Tony Eason). 

‘RUNT OF THE LITTER’ is set in a locker room just
before the “big game,” where Eason is psyching himself
to play against a team that includes his brother. The
script examines his struggle to be the best, and the
sacrifices, victories, and tragedies that surround
achieving the ultimate goal in sports.

Eason is an excellent performer.  He appears to be at
ease with the audience, seemingly at ease with
himself.  He exhausts both himself and us with his
passion.  

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   ‘RUNT OF THE LITTER’ was an
intense experience.  It was an eye-opener which
allowed the audience to get an inside look at what it
takes to be a success in competitive sports,
especially when the odds are against that success.

‘A HANDSOME WOMAN RETREATS’

Kim Wyans’ one woman dramedy, ‘A HANDSOME WOMAN
RETREATS,’ is a biographical story of a panic-plagued
woman who attends a ten-day silent meditation retreat
to root out the sources of her crisis-centered life.  
It is an emotional, yet funny investigation.

We watch as Kim introduces many of the unique
characters of her life, including her parents and her
siblings (The Wyans Brothers of “In Living Color”
fame).

Wyans is a better actress than writer.  The script is
choppy.  The situations are not always well developed.
 Her written comedy is stronger than her dramatic
words. 

The most emotional highlight centers on a failed
birthday of her childhood, when none of her friends
show up for her “Hawaiian-themed” party.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   ‘A HANDSOME WOMAN RETREATS’ was a
pleasant, if uneven production.  The quality of the
performance far exceeded the effectiveness of the
script.

Both of these shows were part of FUSION FEST ’08 at
The Cleveland Play House.  

Side note:  Appreciation to Roe Green, local arts
patron, who gave financial backing to Fusion Fest 08
and is serving as the Honorary Producer . 


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2008, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to subscibe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and 
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ