- 99 Impossible Things
- The Eclectic Company Theatre
- Reviewed by Jose Ruiz
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Once you figure out than there is
nothing in this story that resembles reality as you know it then the play
makes a lot of sense. It’s even funny in many places, although not the
knee slapping kind of funny. It’s more like the creep up on you when you
least expect it and let out a loud giggle funny. That’s because the
characters in this whimsical tale by Chelsea Sutton, who also directs, are
so far out in so many ways that you’re sure you’ll never meet anyone like
that. The problem is that the more you think of it, you begin to get the
queasy feeling that you actually may know someone like that and perhaps
even (gulp) there may be a little of YOU in the characters. Perish the
thought! |
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For example, there’s Casey, a
wannabe poet (“what rhymes with orange?”) who works when others don’t to
avoid unpleasant interactions. Casey has an imaginary friend named Paul
and they both hang out at The Magic Bean Coffee Shop which belongs to
Ellen, but before the shop belonged to Ellen’s older sister who was killed in a car
accident. Casey sort of has the hots for Lydia, a cute waitress at the
coffee shop, but Paul (the imaginary friend) also has an even bigger yen
for her and they argue about who will make the first move. |
- Mason Hallberg - Geoff James - RJ Farrington -
Ashleigh Boiros
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- Ed was married to Ellen’s sister but after
the accident he now calls himself Harold and has become an inventor of
things that are impossible to use or create. Unlike people who try to
quit smoking, Harold is trying to start smoking but has a hard time
sticking to it. His impossible things ideas are logged in a notebook
and he numbers each of the ideas often arguing about them with a full
size Sea Monkey that follows him around, usually not saying much.
Harold claims to have invented the Sea Monkey but had the idea stolen
from him. No one sees the Sea Monkey and people often wonder who
Harold is yelling at.
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Once in awhile Alice comes to the
coffee shop. Alice is a homeless magician who only does one card trick and
always gets it wrong, but she constantly badgers people to pick a card so
she can try to guess it. Then there’s Ellen who has many issues and tries
to escape from them with pills – many pills. Her conversations are with
Gabie a guardian angel with an attitude and their exchanges are often
heated and controversial. As with the others, no one but Ellen can see or
hear Gabie.
Suddenly Jaye shows up. She’s an
apparent look alike for a famous person idolized by Lydia, but claims to
have studied psychology, so she becomes their unofficial sounding board.
Her interaction with all of them eventually makes a difference and helps
some to find their reality. |
- Jessica Lightfoot - Tiffany Cole - Jason Britt
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- All that is great fodder for a top notch comedy,
but there are some spots where it sags and slows down dragging some of
the better lines with it. However, the overall concept is very
original and although the resolution between Casey and his imaginary
friend Paul is a little muddled, the solution between the Sea Monkey
and Harold is one of the best in the show. The acting is uniformly
well executed and Barbara Scolaro, as the ill equipped magician, Alice,
is a standout in that role.
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- The cast also includes Ashleigh Boiros as
Lydia, Tiffany Cole as Ellen, Jillian Easton as the Sea Monkey, RJ
Farrington as Gabie, Jessica Lightfoot at Jaye, Jason Britt as Harold,
Mason Hallberg as Casey and Geoff James as Paul.
So if you’re into some off the
wall fantasy, this is the kind of story you will enjoy. Runs through
February 13, 2011. Reservations at: (818) 508-3003.
Online tickets at:
www.EclecticCompanyTheatre.org
Comments? Write to us at:
Letters@ReviewPlays.Com |
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