Review: Variations on Night, Rapid Lemon Productions at Strand Theatre

I’m going to start this review with a tip of the hat to what is arguably (or not) the coolest name for a theatre company I’ve heard ever. Rapid Lemon Productions. Don’t that just grab you? I asked company co-founder Max Garner how it came to be and he explained that it is an anagram of the word ‘palindrome.’ Long story about how he arrived at that (I googled anagrams of palindromes and found Lone Rampid, Lime Pard On, Palm Drone, and my favorite, Riddle Poam. One of these days I’m going to name something Riddle Poam. That’s just too cool to waste.

Which leads me to the company’s latest venture, their yearly outing of The Variations Projects. Max and Company came up with the idea about 21 years ago to, instead of doing one big production, why not turn the spotlight on a bunch of shorter plays and feature local artists? And how about giving them a central theme like Magic, or Beginnings, or Endings, or, well, you get the idea. You can get the skinny on just how the process works by going to this link. It must have been a good idea because all these years later, they have tweaked and perfected the formula and selected this year’s offering entitled, ‘Variations on Night.’ This compilation of 13 plays is by some of the finest playwrights in the area, some seasoned, some newbies, all exceptionally talented. And all writing stories that somehow wrap around the theme of Night.

Producer and company founder Max Garner has once again put together an ace team of professionals to put this show together, beginning with director Lauren Davis. With 13 separate stories, six actors, minor set changes, beaucoup light and sound cues, all of which flow relatively seamlessly and all well-paced with minimal downtime (sometimes just seconds) between plays, Ms. Davis conducts a master class of theatrical efficiency. While none of the plays run more than 10 minutes, including a few that run less, it never appears that the action is rushed – just well-rehearsed with smooth transitions in between. Kudos to the efficient scene changers, including the cast, all of whom helped.

Lighting Designer Martin Sundiata manages the lighting schemes, appropriately shifting days to nights, dark to lights, storms with lightning, to sunshine, all to great effect. And Max Garner’s Sound Designs including some outstanding selections of appropriate songs between plays to suit the various actions is spot-on. I think it was the booming thunder claps of the storms that impressed – and scared the hell out of – me the most. Costumes are credited to Rowan Gardner and each was exactly what was needed. I gotta say my favorite was the scary Swamp Creature. Yikes! But the ever-changing and evolving series of wigs was also pretty impressive. And rarely has so much been done with so few set pieces. A chair here, a side table there, one bar, and some cleverly arranged boxes to suggest all 11 locales. There is no set designer listed in the program, but whoever did it deserves two snaps up! I particularly liked the projections announcing the name of the play and writer.

Variations on Night rightly focuses on the writing of each submitted and chosen script, but until the words come alive on stage they don’t really live. This is an excellent depiction of these important works. And while I can’t comment too much on each of the entries due to time and energy constraints, I will offer a little synopsis of each, then we can talk about the actors’ portrayals. Blessedly, this is one of the finest ensembles I’ve seen in a while. Each of the actors brings their unique skill set and most land solidly in the characters they are assigned. So let’s talk stories! Here’s a brief summation of each play:

Light Strikes a Deal by Meri Robie – In the bedroom shared by Light and Dark, Light sleeps at night, then turns the bed over to Dark when she wakes up. Light would love to see the night time sometime, but more sensible Dark patiently explains why that’s not going to happen.

Night Crawlers: A Coming of Age Story by Isaiah C. Evans- In the Blatta family living room, Ryan discovers he’s undergoing a strange and terrifying transformation — his arm has become insect-like. His parents, Mr. Roach and Lady Nightengale, are members of the Nocturnal Five.

Son of My Son’s Son by Dwight R. B. Cook - a young man named Joshua visits Mrs. Bartlett, an elderly woman sitting on her front porch, seeking answers about his family. His grandmother’s cryptic deathbed words and a DNA test that revealed his father isn’t biologically related to him have led Joshua to believe Mrs. Bartlett might be his great-grandmother.

Night Hawks by Jalice Ortiz-Corral - In a lonely, late-night diner reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, two women — Milly and Valerie — argue over staying out past sunrise. Milly enjoys the thrill of the night while Valerie, more cautious, wants to head home before daylight. As they debate, a quirky Waitress appears, dropping ominous jokes about vampires and hunters.

Who Is She by Kristen Wheeler - Tyler, a cocky young man leaving a club late at night, harasses a mysterious woman named Aria on a dark street. She remains silent and unresponsive despite his increasingly aggressive comments. Tyler’s frustration grows into rage as he shakes Aria, forcing her to look at him.

Bar Noir by Jonathan Tycko - In a smoky, late-night bar in a cruel city, a tangled web of love, betrayal, and crime unfolds. Frank the bartender and Ava the waitress share a quiet moment before she leaves for the night. But when a mysterious fox named Veronica enters, confessing to a crime and waiting for her lover, things escalate.

Fanann by Tad Cleaves - Jessie, a troubled teenager, is discovered by her grandfather Bernard in the attic, apparently harming herself. But Jessie reveals she’s not cutting—she’s giving herself a tattoo with the word Fanann, a nickname given to her by her deceased friend Anthony’s grandfather.

Meeting at Midnight by Janis Hannon - In a mysterious, liminal forest clearing, a group of legendary monsters — Baba Yaga, Dracula (Dracs), Frankenstein’s Monster (Frank), Marco the Swamp Monster, and Maggie the Witch — gather to discuss a troubling crisis: humans are no longer afraid of them.

Another Dark Night of the Soul by Clarinda Hariss - St. Teresa is in heaven.
Teresa, addressing the audience, explains what the Dark Night of the Soul really means — a joyous spiritual journey cloaked in darkness — and laments how it has been sensationalized. Meanwhile, St. John tries to contact God about his meditation app being deleted, but ends up with GOLLY, a stuffy, literal-minded AI that mispronounces everything and doesn’t understand mysticism.

Thank Myrnis by Felicia Barr - A late-night marital comedy that spirals into absurdity, Thank Myrnis explores anxiety, envy, and the yearning for excitement in an ordinary life. Anne, restless and existentially wound up after the death of her adventurous Great Aunt Myrnis, wakes her husband Adam at 2:30 a.m. to unload her feelings of inadequacy and boredom.

The Switch by Iman Michele Dancy - An intimate, emotionally charged drama about two sisters — Imogen and Isla — whose lives have diverged sharply but remain painfully intertwined. Imogen, the older sister, has sacrificed her ambitions to care for their family and aging mother, while Isla has pursued a successful music career, playing bass in a popular band.

The Nicest Hotel In All of Iceland by Allegra Hatem - This witty, absurdist comedy follows vampire couple Andrei and Maria on their 120th anniversary trip to Iceland — which Andrei has disastrously booked for late June, when the midnight sun leaves barely 10 minutes of darkness.

Light Strikes a Deal (reprise) by Meri Robie- A short, little piece that bookends the first entry. An aural amuse-bouche. A revisiting of the Light and Dark characters we first met at the beginning of the group of plays.

So there you have it. 13 plays by 12 authors. I wanted to be sure to acknowledge the accomplishment of each of these playwrights, ‘cause it don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that – publication of the work! Congratulations to each of them for making the cut and getting a piece of work on the boards. But without the characterizations coming to life, it’s still missing the critical element – the performers who breathe life into the words. And this amazing company of six has done the pieces proud.

With this much variation around a common theme, it’s only logical that I would like some more than others, though I really enjoyed them all – to varying degrees. And don’t misunderstand, there was nothing wrong with any of them, it’s just that some were stronger structurally than others. But if I have to give stardust on my favorites, it was sometimes that the actors were so damn good in their parts in these theatrically truncated stories told in 10 minutes. So let’s see…

Isaiah C. Evans was a standout for  Son of My Son’s Son. Sarah Lynn Taylor nailed Night Hawks. ReginaGinaG was outstanding in Bar Noir. Pablo Akira was perfectly deadpan in Meeting at Midnight. Devon Michelle Hernandez was great in The Switch. And Anthony Ross Ocampo deserves a special shout out for that head of wild hair, along with some great acting in  The Nicest Hotel in All of Iceland.

Variations on Night is a wonderful opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the best cutting edge playwrights in the region. Thanks to intrepid production companies like Rapid Lemon Productions, who thrive on taking chances and exhibiting new works by both tried and true and brand new writers, these one of a kind pieces get the attention they deserve and we are all the better for that!

Photo: ReginaGinaG, Pablo Akira, and Anthony Ross Ocampo in "The Nicest Hotel in All of Iceland" by Allegra Hatem

Photo Credit: Rapid Lemon Productions

Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes with intermission

Variations on Night runs July 11 – July 27 at Strand Theatre, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214, for tickets and information, visit Rapid Lemon Productions

Photo: ReginaGinaG, Pablo Akira, and Anthony Ross Ocampo in "The Nicest Hotel in All of Iceland" by Allegra Hatem Credit: Rapid Lemon Productions