Review: FRIENDS WITH AMENITIES at 59E59 Street Theaters-An Excellent Modern Two-Hander

“How do you know anything about the person I want to be?” by Natalie in Friends with Amenities

The fall season at 59E59 Theaters is in full swing and we had the distinct pleasure of attending Friends with Amenities, a two-hander presented by Pendragon Theatre and New Light Theatre Project. This compelling, humorous play is finely written and wonderfully performed by Ahsan Ali and Lisa Jill Anderson.  It enjoys the superb direction by Sarah Norris. Friends with Amenities is the winner of the 2023 New Light New Voices Award. We attended opening night when the full house audience was totally engaged and wowed by the show.

Ali and Natalie meet on Tuesdays at a local bar to be Trivia partners.  They are a good team as Natalie is a pop-culture fan while Ali has other interests that give them an edge in the competition and they are soon slated to participate in the finals. Natalie has had a few too many drinks at the bar so Ali accompanies her home and is surprised to discover that she lives in a very upscale apartment. He is even more surprised when she proposes that he consider becoming her roommate. There’s a definite clash of cultures and lifestyles. Ali is a struggling actor from Pakistan with a temporary student visa, while Natalie makes a good salary working in finance.  As their discourse develops, they learn a lot about each other and how their initial assumptions have been incorrect. Can Natalie and Ali find common ground and what does the future holds for them?

Ahsan Ali as Ali and Lisa Jill Anderson as Natalie deliver the sharp, clever dialogue without missing a beat. Ali and Anderson have crafted a genuine play that is full of humor and heart. Audience members will come to care deeply about both of the characters.

The Creative Team has done a top job of bringing Friends with Amenities to the Upper East Side stage.  They include scenic design by Natalie Eslami; lighting design by Hayley Garcia Parnell; sound design by Janet Bentley; intro and curtain music by Alex Wroten; Property Master, Danielle Pecchioli; Assistant Director/Stage Manager, Kelly McCarty; Stage Manager, Meredith Warren; and Master Carpenter, Ben Watson.

See Friends with Amenities while you can through September 30 in the intimate setting of Theater C.  The show has a run time of 85 minutes with no intermission.  59E59 Theaters is located at 59 East 59th Street (between Park and Madison Avenues). For show ticketing and more information, please visit https://www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/friends-with-amenities/.

Photo Credit: Hayley Garcia Parnell

 

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