THE HANGOVER REPORT – Will Arbery’s PLANO closes Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks in style and introduces an exciting new voice

Susannah Flood, Crystal Finn, and Miriam Silverman in Will Arbery's "Plano" at Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks at the Wild Project.

Susannah Flood, Crystal Finn, and Miriam Silverman in Will Arbery’s “Plano” at Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks at the Wild Project.

Last night, I caught the final entry of Summerworks, Clubbed Thumb’s consistently excellent summer festival of new works. Happily but not surprisingly, Will Arbery’s surreal comedy Plano closes out the festival in high style. The play tells the story of three sisters and the bizarrely deficient men in their lives – one is seemingly gay and distant, another is faceless (literally) and mysterious, and the last is a cheating, duplicitous (also literally) douche bag. As were the other offerings at this year’s lineup (Cat Tin Shoes and Wilder Gone), Mr. Arbery’s play is smart, funny, and produced on an uncommonly high level, especially given its limited two-week run.

Plano starts off very strongly. Almost immediately, I was aware of Mr. Arbery’s heightened, attention-grabbing aesthetic. The playwright has a distinctive style reminiscent of Will Eno – of the one of the great absurdists of our time – and a sophisticated sense of the possibilities of words in a theatrical setting (i.e., to collapse and expand time). Even if the play meanders and loses momentum during the home stretch of its short running time, I nevertheless thrilled to the sound of this exciting new voice. As for the production, it’s directed tightly and stylishly by Taylor Reynolds and acted with panache by a seasoned group of actors.

Until next summer!

RECOMMENDED

 

PLANO
Off-Broadway, Play
Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks at the Wild Project
1 hour, 10 minutes (without an intermission)
Through June 30

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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