Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Happily back in front of a live audience but still a tad rusty: FUNNY WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE and HAUNT QUEST

• By drediman
• May 1, 2021
• No Comments

Although it’s a thrill to finally start sitting in an actual theater on a more regular basis, sometimes I forget that most performers haven’t had the opportunity to hone their craft in front of a live audience in quite a long time. At two of the shows I in-person attended last week – both at classic Off-Broadway venues – I was gently reminded of this understandable reality. But as the saying goes, practice makes perfect!

FUNNY WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE
Kraine Theater
Comedy / In-person

It was a real treat to trek down to the East Village to attend a show at the Kraine Theater, one of the first venues to host in-person performances this spring (beginning with Mike Daisey’s monologue What the F**k Just Happened?). It’s the kind of divey New York performance space that I once romanticized but fear is not long for this world as real estate development continues to evolve the city. Despite my excitement to physically step foot in the venue, the comedy show Funny Women of a Certain Age (SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED) failed to make much of an impact, even though I applaud the obviously stated premise of the show (a variation of which has been translated into successful comedy specials for Showtime). Although clearly happy to be back in front of live audiences, two of the three comedians featured at the performance I attended (Rhonda Hansome, Maribeth Mooney) were only sporadically funny at best. Whether it was a case of the nerves and/or a degree of unpreparedness, their comedic timing was unfortunately off that evening. Coming off best, however, was Carole Montgomery, FWOACA‘s creator and the evening’s emcee. Her set was confident and hilariously irreverent, aggressively pushing the envelope as any comedian worth their ilk should.

HAUNT QUEST
SoHo Playhouse
Immersive Theater / In-person

Just as rusty over at the SoHo Playhouse (more precisely, the loft space above the theater), another classic Off-Broadway theater, was Todd Robbins’ Haunt Quest (SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED). The immersive experience got off to a promising start by taking inspiration from the venue itself. Indeed, the SoHo Playhouse and its surrounding environs are rich in history and ghostly lore, which Mr. Robbins details with atmospheric flair – thereby setting the mood nicely for an evening of potential spectral visitations. However, what followed failed to live up to the spooky and disturbing thrills that were promised. Unlike the airtight audience interactions conducted by such illusionists as Derren Brown and Scott Silven – who are invariably, in their masterfully constructed shows, about twenty steps ahead of their spectators – Mr. Robbins risks running into awkward audience interactions and throwing the show’s pacing off by taking a more open-ended and bluntly leading approach. With a little more time to work out the kinks of his séance in front of live audiences, which is especially tricky for a show this loosely interactive, I’m sure that the genial Mr. Robbins will eventually find surer footing.