BWW Rewiews: 11, SEPTEMBER is a Date with a Disaster

Almost eight years after the tragic events of September 11^th, the phrase "9/11" has adopted a rather sarcastic tone. It has become a running joke, a phrase tossed around ad nauseum whenever a speaker needs to add gravity or significance to whatever he or she is pronouncing. Wanna sound important? Just shout "9/11" and audiences will take you seriously. Or so the theory goes...

Breadline Productions' new play 11, September is perhaps the grossest misusage of this heralding to date. From title to content, writer and star Paul Kampf demonstrates a deplorable lack of taste by interweaving the date of September 11^th, and all it invokes, into the plotline of a rather banal, overworked, and overwrought piece of theater.

The story involves a mathematician visiting New York to speak from a probability, statistical standpoint about the 9/11 tragedy eight years ago. Martin the mathematician (played by Kampf), then has a one-night stand with a rather eccentric waitress (Liz Rebert), and as their lives are revealed, the two strangers discover their pasts are inextricably connected.

The performances really aren't the problem here. In fact, Kampf comes across as both endearing and rather romantic as the sensitive, bumbling math professor. Simple, caring, and pitiably average, his character is strikingly unconventional as a leading man, and refreshingly real. As a romantic compliment to the tall stature and large build of Kampf, the tiny Liz Rebert looks unfortunately miscast. With a high-pitched child's voice to match, this romantic union has some disturbingly pedophilic undertones. On the other hand, playing a woman who was abused, traumatized, and seemingly trapped in the mess of her childhood, one could suggest that casting Rebert to look and sound so young is a rather inspired choice.

The writing and plot, however, are anything but inspired. Kampf's dialogue is neither sharp nor profound. Aside from Martin's temporary lecture inserts which are some mathematic rantings about 9/11, the entire play hinges on these two characters Martin and Angela revealing their deep dark secret after deep dark secret in what seems to become a contest of who had it the worse off. Sadly, there is a clear winner to this contest: the audience.

These so-called "startling revelations" unfold like a disgusting buffet of human suffering, force fed to the audience in great heaping platefuls in a smorgasbord of misery. "Had enough infidelity and suicide?" Kampf asks. "Then have some child molestation. It's the house special this evening." And of course, what show entitled 11, September would be complete without a little bit of terrorism and murder thrown in for dessert? After 2 hours of this, the audience leaves the theater feeling bloated, nauseous, and in desperate need of something sweet and fizzy.

Bottom line: 11, September is just too much of too many bad things, none of which have really anything to do with September 11^th.