MITF REVIEW: COPITO

Richard Lovelace once wrote that "Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage." Such might be the central theme of Blake Cass' innovative new drama Copito, premiering this month at the Midtown International Fringe Festival. This original play follows an extended family and their connections to the titular albino gorilla, who died in Spain just last year.

There is not much in the way of plot in this intimate, hour-long character study. Instead, Cass offers us eight wounded souls who are constantly searching for the missing elements of their lives. Like the ailing Copito, each character is trapped within his own emotional cage, perpetually trying to find the emotional connections that will mend their wounds.

It's heady stuff, and a lot to squeeze into an hour. Unfortunately, in trying to make his play cerebral, intellectual, and emotional all at once, Cass' script ultimately becomes somewhat vague and confusing. The characters and their issues are interesting enough to warrant a few more scenes to clarify the action. And while Mr. Cass shows off the inter-familial dynamics beautifully, his dialogue for the children in the play feels somewhat forced and adult.

As the titular gorilla, Kara Peters effortlessly steals the show. Ms. Peters plays both the primate and an emotionally scarred woman named Julie, switching rapidly between the two with perfect fluidity. She does not try to mimic a gorilla's movements, but simply becomes inhuman, mostly by facial expressions. The effect is beautiful, and her work nearly overwhelms the good performances by Jefferson C. Post, Owen Cooney, and Kristin Knapp. Adam Brilliant's direction is simple and subtle, letting the strengths of the script speak for themselves, although he seems to leave the play's weaknesses alone, too. Copito feels like the penultimate draft of a very intellectually stimulating play. With some revisions and tightening, Cass may refine his work into an elegant study of love and loneliness.

Copito has one more performance at 7:45 on July 30^th. The theatre is at 312 West 36th Street, 4th floor. Call 212-868-4444 for tickets.

To post a comment, you must register and login.