A. D.
The Bedroom at Fort Fringe
Remaining Performances:
Jul 24th 5 pm
Jul 25th 8:30 pm
Jul 26th 5 pm
They Say: A show that runs the gamut from A to D. Attention deficits, afternoon delights, American dreams, artistic differences, anxiety disorders, they’re all here. From the author of last year’s A Report of Gunfire, a comic look at the world today.
Llewellyn’s take: Of the “A.D.” items listed in the description, the emphasis should be placed on “attention deficit” and “anxiety disorders.” There are also American Dreams and artistic differences, though I didn’t see any afternoon delights. Instead, A.D. is a frenetic, one-woman dash through multiple personalities that weave in and out of neurotic introspections…all of it surrounding the fast-paced huck-a-buck world we live in today. Annie Huey keeps up the tempo throughout the show with a nervous grin no matter which character she assumes, from frantic stewardess to nervous art model.
Unfortunately, this rapid change prevents Huey from ever really inhabiting or exploring any one persona—-the characters all merge into one blurred, smiling, speed-talking, hummingbird-type personality. When the script jumps to a stand-up routine, it’s hard to realize that this comedienne isn’t just the next in a series of characters. The comedy in that portion can be trite when it delves into Seinfeld style observational humor (e.g. “you twitter your Facebook to your flickr”), but it picks up when she starts chatting with invisible characters. In the midst of neurotic breakdowns, she lashes out at the voices of those who are ogling and asking questions but who won’t give her a moment to think. It’s the feminine hyper-culture version of “Stop the World – I Want to get Off”. Sans mimes.
See it if: You think anxiety isn’t a condition; it’s more of a lifestyle choice.
Skip it if: You lost interest at “frenetic one-woman monologue”