BWW Reviews: ADMIT ONE at NJ Rep, College Admissions with a Comical Twist

The New Jersey Repertory Company is staging the World Premiere of Admit One through February 16th. The play is a wonderfully crafted piece by playwright, Wendy Yondorf and is superbly directed by Karen Carpenter. This comedy in one act highlights the stresses of college admission and reveals some interesting nuances about the process.

Staged in a suite at the Waldorf Astoria, Howard Everett (Ames Anderson) is a wealthy donor of Giddings University and he has a meeting with the school's admission officer, Mary Sue (Catherine LeFrere). Mary Sue is prim and intellectual with just the right amount of quirkiness to make the character interesting. She vainly works to maintain the integrity of her position while Howard is unscrupulous in his efforts to have his teen attend Giddings; Howard is clearly used to getting what he wants. Hilarity ensues as the two grapple about the qualifications needed to gain the much coveted entry to the very prestigious school.

The two characters could not be more opposite and it is the interplay of their personalities that gives Admit One perfect pacing. The talents of LeFrere and Ames have found their place; they portray their characters so convincingly that you may forget that Giddings University is a fictitious institution.

Whether Mary Sue is correcting Howard's grammar and pronunciation or Howard is attempting to bribe Mary Sue, the scene is full of laughs. Admit One also poses a critical question. How important is this prize anyway?

The admissions game is neatly portrayed with all of the elements known to competitive schools including the significance of legacy status, grades, scores, essays, extra-curricular activities, self-identification and geographic advantages.

Admit One has broad appeal to anyone who has attended college or whose children have gone through the application process. And, there are just enough New Jersey quips to make the run in Long Branch extra fun.

Metropolitan area audiences should not miss the opportunity to see Admit One. It is a show that will entertain with clever comedy and a note-worthy subject at its core.

New Jersey Repertory Company is a professional theater located in Long Branch New Jersey. They showcase and develop new plays with the mission to keep theater thought provoking and important. For tickets to Admit One and upcoming shows, visit their web site, www.njrep.org or call (732) 229-3166.

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