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<div class="MsoNormal"><a name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:Palatino">CONNI’S
AVANT GARDE RESTAURANT, back by audience demand, at CPT<o:p></o:p></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino">Roy Berko<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino">(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino">--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino">Lorain County
Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino">--cool cleveland.com—<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F">It’s
dinner and theatre, but not traditional dinner theatre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s a play, but not a play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s avant garde, but not avant
garde.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is male nude
streaking and lots of references to various body parts, but it isn’t raunchy or
lewd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s ad-libbed, but
scripted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What is it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s one hell of a good time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s CONNIE’S AVANT GARDE RESTAURANT,
now being performed at Cleveland Public Theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F">The
inspiration for this evening of bizarre, delightful, and a little thought
provoking theatricality, was supposedly brought about by the accidental
sighting by the cast of a touring Shakespeare company with a sign over an
abandoned diner in a small town where they were performing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It read, “Conni’s Restaurant.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The group, bored, and in a creative
mood, started to fantasize about what it would be like if they owned and
operated such an establishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Voilá, the inspiration for the mayhem that presently fills the flexible
CPT main theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F">As you
walk into the lobby, you are met by a number of “nurses” who take your coat
(don’t worry, you’ll get it back), costumed performers, hors d’oeuvres and
wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You get to chose your name
for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You can be “Not so
Tiny Tim,” “The Abdominal Snowman,” “Sweet Child of Wine,” or something as
mundane as “Nice.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That’s your i. d.
for the rest of the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F">During
the cocktail party you are entertained by the performing troop, who sing, emote
and serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A minor incident
requires a doctor, who is whisked away into the bowels of the theatre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You are tempted by performance tidbits
of what is to come and exposed to who is going to present it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F">You are
ushered into a banquet hall decorated with chandeliers made of plastic champagne
glasses and utensils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Tables of 8 are
set with “fine” plastic dishes and silverware. There is an operating kitchen,
where much of your “gourmet” dinner will be prepared by a “chef.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(The quote marks are very
relevant!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You self-seat, meet
your table mates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F">Then
all hell breaks loose. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The
“doctor” charges through the audience, sans clothing.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:
Georgia">During the next four hours there is continuous eating (of surprisingly
tasty food), entertainment and mayhem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The cast continues to remind you, through a series of elaborate
vignettes and songs, that the evening is devoted to “</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">the ongoing celebration of the
work of Conni Convergence, the beloved (fictional) icon of stage and screen.
”</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#535353"> </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
16.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
16.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana">As the evening
proceeds, members of the audience are involved in contests, interactions with
the performers, viewing of a baby being transferred from the insides of one
woman to another (I kid you not!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>There’s a ballet interlude by a pregnant ballerina interpreting The
Black Swan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There’s the shooting
of a deer, which then is transformed before your very eyes into a salad (well,
not really).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You are entertained
by the company’s interpretation of Hans Christian Anderson’s THE LITTLE MATCH
GIRL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You’ll learn the secrets of
the rhythm method of acting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then
there’s the “Dance of the Kitchen Utensils” and the making of an erotic fruit
salad. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
16.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
16.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana">I could go on, but
why ruin the experience for those who are going to partake?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:
OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;color:#0F0F0F"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Capsule judgement:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For the non-up tight, those willing to
let lose and go with the chaotic and often hysterical flow, CONNI’S AVANT-GARDE
RESTAURANT is a hoot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is not
your traditional theatre production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>It is one evening of unbridled fun and mayhem.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:
Palatino">The production runs through December 18.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>(The company’s appearance in Cleveland is unique as they
usually perform only one or two nights in various theatres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Having played to sold out houses in
their last area visit, they will be doing 12 CPT performances—several are
already sold out.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For tickets
call 216-631-2727 or go on line to </span></span><a href="http://www.cptonline.org/"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none;text-underline:
none">www.cptonline.org</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-family:Palatino">.</span></span><span style="font-family:Palatino"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></span></div><div> </div><div><i><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#8000FF">Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews, 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 www.NeOHIOpal, while special features appear at http://artsamerica.org.<br></font></i></div></div></body></html>