Review: ACT 3... - 2 Actors Portraying 3 Characters in 1 Winning Play to See!
ACT 3.../written by David Ambrose & Claudia Nellens/directed by Martin Bergman/The Laguna Playhouse/thru January 31, 2016
The US premiere of ACT 3... features the smart, witty writing of David Ambrose and Claudia Nellens performed with the assured talents of Rita Rudner and Charles Shaughnessy. Martin Bergman (Rudner's husband) smoothly directs these two performing veterans as they quite believably essay a modernistic couple not quite in sync with each other's needs. The unnamed characters (listed only as "He" and "She") have a long enough relationship in which He (the charming Shaughnessy), a successful novelist/playwright takes "She" (the quite vulnerable Rudner) for granted. She finds something missing in their lives together. When She complains that He thinks of She as invisible, He tells She to do something and surprise He. He would love that.
What develops' an innocent, non-threatening catphishing, or could it turn in to be? Depends on what one thinks the definition of "threatening" would be. Proceeding on the premise that He doesn't believe She has a firm grasp on English words and their usage (as in effective prose); She, under the non de plume of Serena de Courcy, pens a glowing fan email to He. Impressed and totally flattered by the well-written missive of Serena, He shares his enjoyment of this initial correspondence with She, before responding in a gracious, professional reply. Serena amps the adoring emails up stroking He's ego, leading to the inevitable meeting in the flesh.
Rudner, in composing Serena's emails, turns into the deep-voiced, over-the-top HYS.TER.I.CAL Serena de Courcy with physical moves that wonderfully exaggerates Serena's intensity. Shaughnessy somehow magically keeps his He from being an unsympathetic a-hole. Quite a feat with all the ill-doings He's caught doing.
Kudos to scenic designer Jim Prodger for his simple, clean set pieces gliding easily on and off stage with a backlit projected scrim for seamless location/scene background changes.
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