Review: NEW WORKS LAB at UCB Department Of Theatre

It's always a pleasure to share in the work of the next generation of theatre artists bringing fresh perspectives to the stage. The year-end New Works Lab at UCSB, which challenges students to write, direct, design, and perform short plays, gives students a chance to experiment with form, style, and collaboration. This year's plays offered comedy, drama, and an excursion into the absurd, while expressing insecurities about the future on both a personal and global level. Mentorship for the students provided by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Vickie J. Scott, Daniel Stein, and Una Mladenovic.

The Plays:

BAD BLOOD by Jazmine Bang

Synopsis: Doña Thiche (Katherine Arevalo) is the irreverent, annoyed goddess of purity who prevents people of different races on Earth from producing multi-racial offspring. When Thiche's incompetent minions delete three year's worth of prayers, Thiche realizes that in her absence, a young couple Chuy (Daniel Blanco), who is Mexican, and Anne (Gloria Huang), who is Chinese, have had a baby, Faye (Angelica Morquecho). Thiche makes a bargain with the parents for Fay's soul: if Faye hates her bi-cultural heritage by her 18th birthday, she'll belong to Doña Thiche.

Notes from the editor: This piece has an interesting concept, but suffers from identity crisis in terms of genre. Half the play's elements are firmly entrenched in comic absurdity, while the other half represent genuine, earnest drama. To clarify the voice of this piece as dramatic, the booty-popping and club music could be toned down, and the focus can be shifted to how racism within family dynamics affects the mixed-race children; otherwise, to commit to comedy, pushing the absurdity even further will more aggressively suggest the clownish behavior of the characters with cultural prejudice. Chuy, Anne, and Faye are the "straight men" in this scenario, signifying the prudence of acceptance and empathy.

Highlights: Props to costume designer Luis Cornejo: Dylan Broxson in a schoolboy uniform and the minions' '90s-throwback, low-rent TLC realness gave me life.

THE SEX DUNGEON SPEED DATING SPECTACULARby Alessandra Albanese

Synopsis: Two BDSM sex workers, Charlotte (Kat Cleave) and Billie (Kassidy Klinesmith), attempt to work through their recent break-up by meeting new people--in the form of a surprise round of speed dating in their sex dungeon. Charlotte invites matches from Billie's online dating profiles to be contestants in her game, designed to help Billie move on from a broken heart.

Notes from the editor: The play introduces the audience to a niche community that, in a mainstream struggling with a discomfort with sex, is still somewhat mysterious. But with the task of bringing a cultural subset to the stage comes the challenge of giving the audience enough information for the story elements to have context, while also making the information provision seem natural, organic, and at a level of sophistication consistent with the characters. Essentially, you have to explain what BDSM is all about without making it seem like you're explaining it. It's a tricky balance, but a good place to start when making cuts for the next draft.

Highlights: This piece had an effortless balance of comedy and drama, with a nuanced performance from Kassidy Klinesmith, and great energy from Kat Cleave.

ENAMORED WITH THE EPHEMERAL by Malique Guinne

Synopsis: Al (Jarred Webb) got his first taste of fame at a young age, only to discover the fickleness of the public's devotion when disturbing information about him came to light. He gets a second chance when he's chosen to play Kanye in a biopic; he dives headfirst into the performance by moving onto Kanye's property to fully experience the life of the unhinged celebrity.

Notes from the editor: The concept of this piece is interesting, but the story and the message are sometimes lost in bizarre metaphors so east of Jesus that they stop the narrative in its tracks. The piece could use a good shake to dislodge extraneous material that doesn't serve the story.

Highlights: Exploring the current social trend of chasing fame at any cost is sharp and immediately crucial. Incorporating spoken-word poetry and rap is a driving and ambitious mode of delivering expressive language.

SODA JERKS by Harry Davis

Synopsis: Sean (Fletcher Hoffman) and Justin (Steven Armstrong) are awkward teens on the cusp of adulthood. In the last days of post-high-school summer vacation, before Sean leaves for college, Justin finally gets noticed by his crush, Helen (Sara Neal), on a dating app. Sean tries to wingman for Justin when Helen comes over to meet him, but Helen's interest in Sean throws both friends off track.

Notes from the editor: The physical comedy works well in this piece, but there's certainly room to grow and perfect these gags. Punch these moments hard and fast, and don't lose momentum after cresting on a joke.

Highlights: The piece had a very natural feel, with three performers who were comfortable with the comic timing of the conversation. Direction-wise, the piece was choreographed to effectively utilize the set and the playing space, and the performance was delivered to the entire audience.

FAST FOOD TAKEOVER by Brynn Johnson-Shrout

Synopsis: After a natural disaster turns the terrain into a fiery wasteland, the local McDonald's becomes a work camp for desperate refugees, ruled over by the nefarious "manager." In this dark-comedic look at a bleak future, Xander (Hari Hangesh) and Maggie (Ryan Hollon) must learn to survive in the face of sci-fi-style punitive measures for those who don't toe the line.

Notes from the editor: The concept of this piece is stylish, but the basic details of the situation are too vague to maintain tension in the story. Without reading the synopsis, it's difficult to tell the who/what/where/when/why of the events without context clues. Adding some specifics about the situation will help the audience relate to and invest in the story as it unfolds.

Highlights: This play doesn't shy away from dark campiness, and points out that the true horrors of a post-apocalyptic social-scape are potentially those of humanity gone unchecked. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and a play that occurs in this kind of social structure has room dive deeply into the terrifying aspects of the human psyche.

MY ROLL, MY ROLE by Michael Lin

Synopsis: Fay (Nicholas Freedson) has trouble relating to the people in his life--and the people in his life are concerned by his seeming lack of motivation and direction after college. When Fay is a no-show at his brother's bachelor party, his brother and friends try to get a commitment from him to attend the wedding by forcing an honest examination of his priorities--through Dungeons and Dragons adventure role playing.

Notes from the editor: The family dynamic is awkward, sure, but to really get the audience committed to the movement of the story, there needs to be more urgency behind the brothers' reconciliation. Whether this comes from a more fleshed-out backstory, or higher stakes relating to how the events of this show will shape the future, there has to be something that makes this particular game of Dungeons and Dragons a turning point in the characters' lives so the audience can get invested in the unfolding action.

Highlights: Using a fantasy-style role-playing game engages characters--especially those who have trouble relating to the "real" world--in a unique way: through the manifestation of their imagination. The performers in this play channeled appealing emotional realism, which balanced well with the fantasy elements in the D&D world.

Congratulations to the class of 2018! I look forward to the 2018-2019 year of UCSB theatre!

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