[NEohioPAL] Berko review: MILK, MILK LEMONADE @ convergence-continuum

[Roy Berko]

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*MILK MILK LEMONADE, laugh filled, but message light at convergence
continuum *



Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)



Joshua Conkel’s MILK MILK LEMONADE, now in production at convergence
continuum, is about milk, right?  Wrong.  It’s about lemonade, right?
Wrong.

It’s about Katy Perry’s song MILK MILK LEMONADE.  Also, wrong.



MILK MILK LEMONADE is about Emory, an effeminate 11-year-old boy who lives
on a farm with his Nanna, his old friend who is a depressed chicken named
Linda, who is about to be processed, and Elliot, the pyromaniac kid down
the road who bullies Emory, but likes playing “house” with him.  Emory
dreams of appearing on *Reach for the Stars, *a reality tv show, winning,
and becoming a Broadway star.  Between choreographing ribbon dances,
playing with his Barbie doll, talking to Linda, observing as the hen does a
smut mouthed stand up comedy routine, and sneaking into the barn to have
sex with Elliot, Emory is one busy little boy.



According to the author, “MILK MILK LEMONADE started as an experiment in
memory.  It’s a  collage of images, ideas and memories, many of which are
completely false, from my childhood.”  The out gay playwright goes on to
say, “I wanted to write a play about growing up queer that takes place in a
nightmare landscape that expresses how terrifying life can be for gay kids
in an expressive, rather than strictly literal way.”



What Conkel wound up with is a very dark, melancholy, yet funny piece of
children’s theatre for adults, filled with questions of gender, life, death
and what it means to be.



The con-con production, as staged by Cory Molner, leans a little much on
comedy, and not enough on the depth of the tale, but, as staged, will
delight many.  It could only be wished that the dark underbelly had been
more well exposed.



Scott Zolkowski’s design of the chicken costume, which used elements of *Swan
Lake*, got howls of laughter on Linda’s first entrance.  The molting as the
show went on, whether preplanned or not, added to the glee.



Wes Shofner’s chicken-processing machine, into which chicken’s entered to
come out as bagged or boxed Chick-fil-A tenders, is hysterical.



Zac Hudak, he of huge eyes and expressive face, well develops Emory, the
pathetic man-child, yearning to be gay and uninhibited.   He longs to live
in a make-believe world where he isn’t bullied and controlled, but allowed
to be himself.



Lisa Wiley is fine as the narrator who interprets chicken talk and is the
evil influence on Elliot.  Marcia Mandell is properly air-headed as
Nanna.  Sarah
Kunckik was chicken right!



Brian Devers has some nice moments as the fire-obsessed Elliot, but there
was a need for a stronger negative personality which would have textured
his conflicted bi-polar swings with his sometimes tender moments with Emory.



*Capsule Judgement: MILK MILK LEMONADE, is a thought provoking,  laugh
filled play that leans a little too much on comedy, and not enough on the
depth of the tale.  Though not for everyone, it is tailor-made for the
typical off-the-wall con-con audience member.*



MILK MILK LEMONADE runs through September 8  at 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays at convergence-continuum’s artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438
Scranton Rd. in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. For information and
reservations call 216-687-0074.



Cc’s next show is Jordan Harrison’s KID SIMPLE running from OCTOBER 5-27.


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