Review: ||: GIRLS :||: CHANCE :||: MUSIC :|| at A.C.T. Strand

There is plenty of interesting ideas in Eisa Davis’ into the lives of four women, students in a summer music program. The need for arts education drives these girls, partly for parity in a male dominated world of music and secondly as a respite from the dramas of their individual lives. Pulitzer finalist Davis understands the language of young women, and their interactions seem natural and authentic. Adding the musicianship of the actors and the creative process adds an element of interest, but the hodgepodge collection of plotlines and lack of a score hurts the play which clocks in at over an hour forty.

This is A.C.T Artistic Director Pam McKinnon’s swan song and it’s a shame she couldn’t whip the show into something with more cohesion and structure, creating an interest in the characters and drawing us into their world. The cast is Gianna DiGregorio Rivera (Clementine), Hillary Fisher (Fax), Naomi Latta (Margot), and Yeena Sung (Rile) who capably hold their own both dramatically and musically. There’s only one true song in the piece, a collaboration of three musicians that truly shines. The script is all over the place in terms of the girls’ interactions: jealousy, betrayal, lesbianism, homelessness, and perhaps well-deserved male bashing. Their home lives are miserable, which drives their passion for musical creativity.

Nina Ball’s set is lovely combined with Russell H. Champas’ sharp primary color lighting. This is a world premiere, and perhaps with some editing and condensing, the show will gel into something wonderful.

  ||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :|| continues through April 19th. Tickets are available at 415-749-2228 or online at www.act-sf.org