Review: DRY POWDER at GableStage

The Golden Goose in Full Flight

You all remember the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale about the adhesive goose. The one to whom every one stuck who tried to steal a golden feather? Of course you do. Well, this bird is flying high in GableStage's DRY POWDER, a top flight tale of greed central, New York's money management markets in midtown Manhattan.

Steven G. Anthony is Rick, founder and President of KMM Capital Management, a chap in a bind because he threw himself an engagement party in Bali that featured an elephant or two and cost more than money. His LPs, oh, think about it, I had to, deserted him and the media jumped him with delight because while he was playing with Jane in the jungle one of his acquisitions laid off thousands of workers.

Rick has two managing directors, each with staffs, to assist him. One is Seth, played by Alex Alvarez, who brings Rick possible deals and who still has a nice little boy within. Katherine C. McDonald is the other director, Jenny, and her job is to rip Seth's propositions. Something she does with luscious venom.

So KMM Capital Management is scraping the bottom of its dry powder barrel when Seth comes up with the saving deal. A well respected California suitcase manufacturer needs extra cash to expand and cover the cost of its CEO's hobby vineyard. Robert Strain is Jeff, the Landmark Luggage CEO and full time lover of his workers who is willing to sell his company at a ridiculously low price. If you're a money manager.

Perfect casting by director Joseph Adler. DRY POWDER is a fast and funny eighty minute one act with not a lag within. Anthony's harassed but never losing control Rick, Seth's faith in truth from Alvarez, McDonald's Jenny with her inability to spell emotion, much less feel it, and the humanity from Strain's Jeff are all gold in this financial cauldron.

Set and lights designers, Lyle Baskin and Jeff Quinn, have given GableStage a setting that ranks among South Florida's best. CEO Jeff's executive office high in a Manhattan Tower has floor to ceiling windows through which can be seen the brilliantly lighted East Side with its terraced Chrysler Building. The daytime hours have the same shot, no lights, but with faint clouds afar.

Sound/music design by Matt Corey and costumes by Ellis Tillman.

DRY POWDER, okay, okay, the term means available cash, is a cynical, wittily written revelation by Sarah Burgess and this production by GableStage captures every greedy spasm.

DRY POWDER is playing through April 23 at GableStage at the Biltmore, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables. 305-445-1119 http://www.gablestage.org

Photo L-R: Alex Alvarez, Robert Strain, Katherine C. McDonald

Photo credit: George Schiavone

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