Review: Uber Clever ICU Provides Terrific Transfusion of Laughs Via Superb Cast

ICU/by Fielding Edlow/directed by Brian Shnipper/Atwater Village Theatre/thru October 31, 2015

What a witty script! What a fine cast! What an incredible first act! Circle X Theatre's world premiere of playwright Fielding Edlow's ICU immediately grabs your attention the moment you enter and take a seat in the waiting room of an unnamed New York hospital. With precision machine-gun delivery of Edlow's brutally frank and wickedly smart dialogue expertly directed by Brian Shnipper, the first act simply whizzes by before intermission hits at the hour mark.

Ruth and Siggy, with their daughter Jenna, wait so impatiently, so restlessly, so very hysterically for the update of their comatose son Brian's condition in his hospital room they were all just kicked out of. Seems their quarrelling got too loud for the entire hospital wing. These three's bickering and razor-sharp dissing and bad joke-telling ring with resounding familiarity, as in "I know a family like that!" These three emotional, demonstrative, accusative, totally dysfunctional characters receive full-blooded portrayals by the incredible Caroline Aaron as the controlling (but with good intentions) mom Ruth; by the very talented Dagney Kerr as Jenna, the still unmarried spinning instructor, a loser in both her parents' eyes; and the very spot-on Joe Pacheco as Siggy, the always there with a corny joke, but ever ready with financial support for his little girl. Emotional support or words of encouragement, on the other hand, non-existent, from either Siggy or Ruth.

With all the familial disagreements and hurtful zingers ping-ponged back and forth, another inhabitant's existence in the waiting room gets overlooked. Kevyn's waiting to visit his sick friend bringing along a large stuffed teddy bear. Doug Sutherland initially charms as the stranger Kevyn, but progressively gets creepier and creepier as more and more of his identity gets revealed to all.

As the lead nurse of the wing, Ericka Kreutz exquisitely exposes all the frustration, the exasperation, the exhaustion, the genuine compassion of a health worker pulling double shifts. (She doesn't even had time to pee!) Kreutz' Nurse ever-so-civilly takes no crap or compliments from anybody. That is, until the doctor imposter Kevyn praises her nursing skills. Kreutz' Nurse would be the ideal healthcare person you'd want to care for yourself or your loved one.

Shaun Anthony has his appealing vulnerable moments as Dr. Gelber, with his flirtation with Jenna quite transparently fake.

Tony DeCarlo tackles the small but pivotal role of Brian, the center of all this concern and attention.

The shrewd staging, including the audience in the waiting room, receives integral enhancement by Amanda Knehans' scenic design of the entire room painted up as a hospital waiting room with all the chairs used (by performers and audience) of the same color and style.

Second act, even with all its wonderful exchanges, both funny and heartfelt, focuses too much on the unsympathetic Kevyn character, at the expense of the more intriguing characters of Nurse or Brian's family members. Kevyn's shocking actions while disturbing seem totally plausible and in line with his deeply troubled character. Kevyn and Jenna's final exchange, on the other hand, appear unrealistically noble. More Ruth or more Nurse - STAT!

www.circlextheatre.org

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