The
expectation of Jim (Raidge) that his wife Gloria (Marcia Fearon) should
submit to his will, as she has for the past two decades, sets the comic
conflict.
The
comedy does not come quickly to the production. The first scene
or two breeze by with only a couple of rueful chuckles. It is not
until Gloria embraces her independence, and Jim is left clueless as how
to deal with his wife, that the writing gets real laughs. From
that point on, though, Two Can Play is a comedy.
The
crafty, independent woman and the doddering, helpless, man is standard
comedy fare. This comic situation, which has been a American
standard since the beginning of television, was never more relevant
that it was during the explosion of the feminist movement, which is the
time setting for this piece.
The
Black Rep excels in the 2 - 4 cast-member theater niche. In this
production, Marcia Fearon and Raidge give fine performances. The actors
seem to be enveloped by their respective character. The audience can
accept, without question, that these actors are Gloria and Jim, which
is a tremendous achievement.
Sets
by Jason Tranchida, Lighting by David Roy, Sound by Ben Scheff and
costumes by Caitlin Rose Beck help create a much bigger feel to this
two-actor production. Crickets, gunshots and helicopters with
searchlights shining into the bedroom are among the sights and sounds
not imagined. They have been re-created with surprising clarity by the
design team.
Two Can Play by Trevor Rhone is being presented by The Providence Black Repertory Company in Providence, RI, through November 11, 2007.
General
Admission tickets are $20.00 each. Student and Senior tickets are
$10.00 each. Every Sunday is Pay-What-You-Can. Tickets can be
purchased through Arttix RI at 401-351-0353 or www.artixri.org.
Performances are Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.
Visit www.blackrep.org for more information
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