I didn't necessarily know what I was getting into when I agreed to see the play, Holy Cross Sucks with its lone cast member Rob Nash. Was it going to one actor's opinions about the current state of the Catholic Church masked in jokes? Could it get political? My concerns however were thankfully washed away as I learned that this feared "satire" was actually billed as "a comedy about the tragedy of high school" and was an extremely entertaining play telling the perils of high school without every taking itself too seriously. No, instead, Rob Nash portrayed over 20 characters, all of which you can relate to or remember in some sense from your own high school experience, providing truly enjoyable theater.
Let the memories of the '80's rush to the forefront of your brain as you settle in to watch Holy Cross's class of 1985 navigate through their high school years. Visualize the big hair, the fluorescent colors, the Prince posters that adorn every wall, the oversized T-shirts and glasses, Atari and Nerf balls. Now take it all away and put yourself in a theater with only one classroom themed backdrop, very few props and only one actor dressed in a plain T-shirt and pants. That is all you are allowed to work with to envision this school and the characters that embody the class of 1985 at Holy Cross. On paper, this sounds difficult, but in person at the theater, you are wowed by the performance of Nash as he effortlessly introduces you to an array of characters neatly categorized as "the nerd," "the slut," "the homo," "the fat kid" and "the punk" among others. Introducing these characters in such a stereotypical and over-the-top fashion lets you flashback to your yearbook and pick out fellow classmates who easily fall into these designated buckets. Although it is a bit tough at first to follow the storyline of who's who, you quickly realize that Nash has assigned individual gestures, some noticeable, some subtle, to each character in addition to their own distinctive voice. These individual traits serve as guidelines to determine who is speaking when, should you ever get lost in the dialogue.
On that note, it's surprising that Nash himself doesn't get lost in the back and forth banter since the script includes so many wise cracking jokes and speed talking teens. The script is funny because it accurately mirrors high school life as the dialogue is relayed on point as if each character was played by its own actor. Line delivery throughout the entire show keeps up with the set tempo and only adds to the humor of the script. In one scene, where all of the "group" meets up and says hello to everybody, Nash literally says "hi" for all eight friends while gesturing with their definitive moves. The whole series of "hellos" lasts no more than a few seconds, but is so seamlessly fluid that it leaves the audience in a strange combination of uproarious laughter and confusion, all while being unable to hold back the applause the Nash so very much deserves. You start to wonder when this man ever takes a breath.
By virtue of endearing voices and gestures, you find yourself rooting for this self proclaimed group of "conforming non-conformists." Although some the situations that face the students are a bit unrealistic and not as glamorous, or shall I say "Jerry Springer" like as our own high school experiences, the scenes still manage to fit and make sense. No matter how unlikely these scenarios may appear, you can appreciate them because they
are so over dramatic – and that's at least the way everything
feels in high school, whether it's really that way or not. We follow the students' personal journeys throughout high school and experience the way a group dynamic can so rapidly change. The students are bound together by their leader and mentor, Mr. Smith, who meets the students as their homeroom teacher the first day of their freshman year. In a very "Mr. Belding" like way from Saved by the Bell, Mr. Smith serves as the voice of reason to the teens that are growing up and discovering themselves right in front of his eyes. He is the unsung hero of the cast who serves as the inspiration for this group of friends while allowing them to inspire him as well. The play enables you to see a group of friends come of age as tough exteriors of who they want themselves to be in freshman year slowly dissolve into the confidence of who they really are by the time they are ready to accept their diplomas.
Hilarious, over the top, yet extremely relatable in a laughable way, Holy Cross Sucks does the high school experience proud and gives you good reason to go home and flip open those dusty old yearbooks. A good laugh is surely in store.
Holy Cross Sucks will be performing at the Ars Nova Theater at 511 West 54th Street now through October 1st. Showtimes are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm. To purchase tickets, please call SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or log onto http://www.SmartTix.comRob Nash emobies over 20 characters with ease in "Holy Cross Sucks" playing at the Ars Nova Theater.
Photo credit: Richard DiBella
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