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A confusing not-really-there plot, so-so acting and continuous technical
difficulties make this two-person, 23-character show a displeasing
theatrical experience. Siblings Jeff and Laura are the main characters in
this attempted comedy, but also making appearances are their aunts, uncles,
cousins, and lesbian friends. All of playwright and director Carl Andress's
characters-from old Aunt Betty to Stephanie the fiancée-come across as gay
men. Marcy McGuigan has a little more to offer with her portrayals of
tempeh-eating, Indigo Girls-loving lesbians and elderly uncles. While the
majority of the action is set in Wisconsin, no one has a northern accent:
There's the Jewish-sounding aunt, the southern aunt, the ghetto-speak
cousin, and all of Andress's unabashedly effeminate characters. Andress and
McGuigan make a point of morphing into each character by spinning around or
sweeping their bodies toward the floor. Apparently, they don't trust their
audience to notice the character changes without a visual reminder. At the
end, an unnecessary song-and-dance number is downright painful.
-- ELLEN CARPENTER
The Bird
Circuit
Written and directed by Carl Andress.
Where:
Downtown Variety Lounge
at the Present Company, 198 Stanton St.
When:
8/14 at 10pm, 8/16 at 8pm, 8/17 at
3:15pm, 8/18 at 12:30pm.
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