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Volume 71, Issue 101,
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Life & Arts 'Ache' gets to the heart of things Latest Stages play has patrons sobbing, leaving all teary-eyed by SARAH TRESSLER
If you can tear yourself away from the boob tube this weekend, you might want to catch some real, live people putting on a performance. An Infinite Ache, a romantic comedy composed of bare-bones basic two-person cast, is showing at Stages Repertory Theatre through March 12. The play follows the epiphany Charles has of he and Hope's married life together, from passionate pre-nuptials to a hearing aid wearing, creaking-bones old couple. The frustrations encountered by the couple are at times humorous and at other times tragic. The story covers the couple's entire life at a head-spinning pace. The moments of their time together are acted out in ranges of a few seconds to several minutes.
In the Stages Repertory Theatre's production of the powerful An Infinite Ache, David Kenner and Tasheena Miyagi portray a couple experiencing blissful and tragic times. Bruce Bennett/Stages Repertory Theatre Sometimes the portrayed moment is only a question from Hope and Charles' answer. This may be immediately followed by a short conversation that presumably takes place several days in the future. Or it may be followed by a question asked by Charles and Hope's answer that takes place on yet another night, or week, or year. This innovative pacing imparts both humor and, at times, confusion. It moves the play along quickly and doesn't keep audience members waiting for an interminable act or scene to end. However, this type of pacing takes some time to gain momentum. The play starts off slow and unpromising, but quickly tightens up and speeds along. It starts off with Hope and Charles just arriving at Charles' studio apartment after their first date. (Incidentally, the entire play is set in Charles' studio apartment/bedroom, which later becomes Hope's bedroom too.) Some playful banter and mild flirting goes back and forth. Hope's brutal honesty and standoffish manner reduce Charles to anxiously proclaiming how desperately he wants their barely-there relationship to work. Hope seems a bit miffed but intrigued. Tipsy and tired, she lays down on Charles' bed for a brief nap -- for no longer than an hour. In this hour, Charles visualizes their entire life together. By intermission, the script is moving along so fast that it feels odd to break in the middle of Charles and Hope's transforming life and marriage. The play is showing in Stages' Arena theatre, which is a tiny black box room with seating on all four sides and the stage smack dab in the middle. The close quarters make the whole experience very intimate, especially since there are only two cast members. By the end of the play, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. This theater makes it a given that you can see everyone around you wiping their teary eyes and drippy noses. You don't usually get to see that from your living room couch (I hope). Give your TV a break and go watch a live performance; you won't be disappointed.
An Infinite Ache Stages Repertory Theatre,
Verdict: An Infintie Ache is witty, fast-paced, romantic, tragic and well acted. My advice: bring Kleenex. Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu |
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