Review: MAZ AND BRICKS at Corrib Theatre

Maz and Bricks meet on the Luas, Dublin's mass transit system. Maz (Eliza Frakes) is a prickly young women's rights activist headed to join a protest that aims to repeal Ireland's Eighth Amendment, which criminalized abortion (the actual amendment was successfully repealed in 2018). Bricks (Ken Yoshikawa), who is on his way to pick up his daughter for a trip to the zoo, is the kind of guy who makes you consider changing cars on the light rail. He talks very loudly on his cellphone about a random hookup the night before, and then pesters Maz into engaging with him before admonishing her for saying the word abortion too loudly.

The first scene of Eva O'Connor's MAZ AND BRICKS, now running at Corriib Theatre, sets up a conversation about abortion between people with different views. But the issue is just the backdrop for a story about two people who recognize a sadness in each other and are able to provide a fleeting mutual comfort. On a larger scale, it's about not judging people at first glance because you've no idea what they're going through.

At the protest, Maz finds herself overcome with emotions she hadn't anticipated. Bricks never gets to make the planned zoo trip with his daughter. So, the two end up spending the day together, learning about the circumstances that brought them both to that particular area of Dublin on that particular day. Once Bricks drops the bravado and opens up about the emotional load he's carrying, he's able to win over both Maz and the audience. And as Maz reveals her reasons for participating in the protest, she becomes a lot more vulnerable and a lot less prickly.

Frakes and Yoshikawa do well with a challenging script that alternates between short conversations and longer monologues, the latter of which are written in rhyme. The rhyming is clever, and it gives the monologues a driving beat that propels them forward. But O'Connor too often falls into the trap of having the characters narrate their actions in addition to their thoughts, resulting in long, steady streams of words. Director Melody Erfani inserts a couple of movement sequences that give the characters (and the audience) a few much-needed moments to take a breath, but I would have appreciated an intermission. I also had a hard time with the ending, which is too tragic for the tender day that the two just shared.

Overall, MAZ AND BRICKS is about finding connection with unexpected people in unexpected places. At the very least, it might give you more empathy for the next loud-talking blowhard you meet on the MAX.

MAZ AND BRICKS runs through March 13 at the Boiler Room, Lincoln Hall, Portland State University. More details and tickets here: https://corribtheatre.org/maz-and-bricks/

Photo credit: Adam Liberman

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