'Parallel Lives' at Street Theatre Company

Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy are two of the funniest human beings on the face of the earth-and there's no exaggeration in that statement. The two women's shared view of the world around them is caught like so much lightning in a bottle in Street Theatre Company's production of Parallel Lives, a collection of vignettes that are as incisive and reflective as they are uproariously funny. Their words and vividly imagined characters placed into the capable hands of Nashville actresses Holly Allen and Cathy Sanborn Street, Gaffney and Najimy are given their due in a compact, economical package that's appealing to audiences of all genders.

The two act play offers a vivid glimpse into the lives of a whole slew of characters-both female and male-and their unique, individual takes on society, sex, gender roles, changing mores, religion and political posturing are presented in a vastly entertaining fashion. Sure the humor is woman-centric, just as it is liberal leaning, but the subjects broached and the methods to the madness are so affectionately rendered that any man, woman or transgender person could be rolling on the floor or, at the very least, guffawing loudly. Only the permanently humor-impaired would be unable to find a whole lot to laugh about-hell, even cheer about-in this warmly produced and acted show.

Allen and Street kick off the evening as a pair of celestial beings, assisting The Man Upstairs in creating the world, choosing to give females the ability to give birth, while assigning males enormous egos to Make Up For that perceived disadvantage. It's a clever way to start the show and to ease the two actresses into their evening's assignment, playing some 20-plus characters.

Those characters include Kris and Jeff, a pair of college students out on a date. Although somewhat stereotypical, Kris is a fashion-conscious airhead and Jeff is a beer-guzzling frat boy, the two return later to crush those stereotypes in surprising ways (okay, I knew what to expect Jeff's later years to be like). Annette and Gina are two Italian teenagers, waxing sentimental about the life lessons to be found in West Side Story, and "Mrs. Kenny Rogers" shows life from the unique perspectives of a fantasizing young woman and a time-worn working girl.

Act One's most memorable characters are Maddie and Syvie, a pair of 60-something matrons returning to junior college to pursue degrees in women's studies. They expected whip stitchery, cooking or fashion and instead found Patti Smyth, performance art, feminism, militant lesbians, and a rollicking visit to Las Hermanas for a performance of "Sister/Woman."

Act Two finds the two celestial beings having a brief conversation about the course of mankind/womankind before the two actresses become a pair of sisters-Terri and Tina-and give us a This is Your Life tour of the two sisters' first three decades on earth, framed by their religious convictions, or lack thereof. It's extremely funny, but also very touching, to see the two women emerge from childhood and it is that sequence that really captures Allen and Street's obvious abilities and showcases their abundant talents.

Sure, the characters are what you might expect to find in a show like this, but Gaffney and Najimy present them with such warmth, humor and genuine respect that you can't help but identify with them.

Allen and Street are both so likable and so completely fearless onstage that it lifts both the production and the audience to unexpected heights. In "Silent Torture," Allen mimes a woman's morning rituals, choreographed to a Bizet symphony, with expert timing and extraordinary restraint. She could have easily gone overboard, but instead keeps the performance very real. Street is her equal in her portrayal of a disparate band of characters, ranging from the nine-year-old girl to the hard-living prostitute Candida.

Parallel Lives isn't grand, big budget, huge sets and stunning costume-filled theatre by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, it's an intimate, altogether riveting, evening with a pair of good friends so secure in their relationship that it allows them to soar, taking their audience along with them.

For more information about Street Theatre Company and their upcoming production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical, visit them online at www.streettheatrecompany.org

To post a comment, you must register and login.