David Ives' Quirky One-Acts @ Crown City Theatre

All in the Timing
six one-acts by David Ives
directed by William A. Reilly & Ben Rovner
Crown City Theatre
through May 1

One thing certain about writer David Ives is his ability to compose short plays with an unparalleled quirky style that is at once entertaining and reflective. All in the Timing, now onstage @ Crown City Theatre in NoHo, is composed of six one-acts, the first three light and frivolously frothy, the second three of a more artful and philosophical nature. As the title implies, each playlet requires expert concentration and delivery on the part of the actors. The cast is most decidedly up to it, and direction from both William A. Reilly and Ben Rovner is top of the hill, making the evening a definite crowd pleaser.

The Philadelphia (directed by Rovner) finds its humor in turning reality inside out and creating a very personal fantasy-like approach to getting what you want where you want it. Mikhail Roberts, Jeff Torres, and Katy Foley gamely play the protagonists.

Universal Language ( directed by Reilly) is my personal favorite. A shy woman with a speech impediment (Lucy Chambers) seeks out a newly formed universal language class a la esperanto where an overly enthusiastic teacher (Dane Stauffer) presents a silly, fraudulent batch of gibberish. What works here is the ability to understand the language of love at any level. The Pig Latinish lingo, crescendo of passions and skill with which the two actors engage and unite makes for a very pleasant romp. Speech patterns here must have been difficult for the actors to learn, but are flawlessly conveyed. Note to language learners: every word and phrase are crystal clear and easy to understand.

Phillip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread (directed by Reilly) is a very short rhythmically repetitive triangle in which composer Glass unexpectedly finds himself. A parody of his minimalist musical style is scrupulously at play and the precise execution by Roberts, Foley, Tim Polzin and Douglas Thornton is delightful.
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Sure Thing (directed by Rovner) uses a clock to turn back time to the advantage of two people attempting to get to know each other. If at once you don't succeed, wouldn't it be nice if you could redo it as if for the very first timE. Douglas Thornton and Jacquelyn Zook do well with the exceedingly quick transitions in mood and attitude. This is definitely a more serious take on the dos and don'ts of cementing male/female relationships.

Variations on the Death of Trotsky (directed by Reilly) is perhaps the most vaudevillian in its repetitious content and execution. I could easily see Sid Caesar and Imogene Cocoa essaying this one in the now classic TV program Your Show of Shows. The humor comes from an actual historical figure Leon Trotsky and his preoccupation with his own demise. Every possible comic angle is explored here with terrific comedic performances from Tim Polzin as Trotsky, Jeff Torres as the gardener/assassin and especially from Lucy Chambers as she shifts multiple disguises to expose inner feelings as Mrs. Trotsky. The hat with axe smashing into the head visually says it all. This is a classic scene for all wannabe successful comedy duos. On a more philosophical note, our lead protagonist relishes the time that is left to him in his near death condition.

Words, Words, Words (directed by Rovner) is another burlesque, this time of how Hamlet may have been written. Holding three monkeys in captivity provides some pretty hilarious physical comedy moves and makes for some spot-on observations about writers, their selfish needs, demands and eccentricities. How do the ideas foment and get on the printed page? That is the question. The answer: in such a crazy mish-mash, anything can happen. Mikhail Roberts, Dane Stauffer and Jacquelyn Zook all shine brightly in this over-the-top delicious send-up of comedy writing teams.

In total, this is a wonderfully enjoyable evening of theatre where the most preposterous circumstances become fact. The acting and direction are super, but it's Ives the writer who deserves most of the credit. Like Mamet as a dramatist, Ives has a peculiarly fascinating perspective on life and living quite unlike his other contemporaries and a very clever way of selling it.

(photo credit: Ben Rovner)

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