Local theater companies Bialystock & Bloom and Bunny Gumbo are
combining to create a one-of-a-kind live theater experience
throughout November. The former is presenting "The House of Yes," by
Wendy MacLeod, while the latter stages "Criminal Acts." On specific
evenings this month you have the opportunity to see both on the same
night.
The shows will take place at the Off-Broadway Theatre, 342 N. Water St. in the Third Ward.
"The House of Yes" concerns the Pascal family. They are all getting together for Thanksgiving, at least what's left of them. Son Marty brings home Lesly, his new fiancée, causing a severe threat to the family's well being. His mother and sister do all that they can to prevent the wedding. Sexual intrigue, lying and game playing ensue in this scathing dark comedy. Some of you may remember the film version starring Parkey Posey, Tori Spelling and Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Showtimes for "The House of Yes" are: Nov. 9-10, 16-17 and 23-24 at 8 p.m., Nov. 15, 18, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $17 and may be reserved by calling (414) 278-0765. Students with valid I.D. may purchase tickets for $10. For more information visit www.bialystockbloom.com.
"Criminal Acts" is set to follow "The House of Yes" on Nov. 10-11, 16-17 and 23-24 at 10:30 p.m. with the exception of Sun., Nov. 11, which is at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 (this is a separate show so a separate admission is necessary).
This unique production, put together by Bunny Gumbo founders and UWM Professional Theatre Training Program graduates James Fletcher and Laura Nicholas, consists of three plays, three crimes, three acts and three weekends.
Each of the three plays has three acts of three scenes. A different act from each of the plays will be presented each weekend, with the show jumping around from play to play like a wild soap opera.
Fletcher worked with a theatre company in Los Angeles that did something similar to this. "We threw something up each Saturday night and I literally mean we threw it together," he explained. "Sometimes we'd only have an hour of rehearsal and sometimes next week's show or act hadn't even been written yet."
"Some story lines were only two weeks long and some were as many as eight weeks," he continued. "While that was great fun, when I decided to put on "Criminal Acts" here I wanted to put more time into the project. I wanted complete scripts that are only three acts long and I wanted adequate time to prepare the show."
The first play is entitled "Martinis for Everyone." Written by Joshua Rebell, it's set in Manhattan and opens with two jet-set couples having drinks before dinner at the latest 'can't-get-in-without-a-six-month-reservation' restaurant. When they discover that a gentleman has been murdered in the drawing room, they may not make dinner altogether. The group's cool façade disappears quickly as they turn on each other. Everyone's a suspect with a motive and each has skeletons in their closet.
The second play, "Keep it in the Family," is penned by Milwaukee playwright Randy Rehberg. It concerns the fortunes of a gold mine whose ownership is in dispute when two families are forced to share the rights after it's won in a crooked poker game. In the second act we jump from the Old West to the 1940s. Now the genre is film noir. The descendants of the families search for the now lost fortune. Act three shifts to the 1990s and ends with a bang as it becomes an action piece.
Another Milwaukee playwright, Anthony Wood, wrote the third play, "The Adventures of the Pink WASP." It follows the adventures of millionaire playboy Brett Majors, whose alter ego, The Pink WASP, is a crime-fighting caped-crusader. This edgy piece delves into the mores of a time when white America and their notions of minorities ruled the airwaves. Fletcher promised that it will raise a few eyebrows.
"The only similarities between the three plays are the fact that some kind of crime has been committed in each play, and that the plays have been written in a very specific manner," Fletcher noted. "Each play has three acts and each act has three scenes. Each play also has a recap process in the second and third acts to catch up audience members who haven't seen the previous show."
Fletcher hopes that this will be an ongoing project. "I've written a play called 'The Big Schlep' and other playwrights have expressed interest in giving it a go," he said. "So assuming we don't crash and burn this time around, the material exists for future shows. In the best of all possible worlds I would like to do this twice a year."
For tickets to "Criminal Acts," call (414) 278-0765. For any additional information about the show, e-mail Fletcher at bunnygumbo@excite.com.
