“Caitlin Cook: Death Wish” – And We’re Off To A Good Start!

By Ernest Kearney  — We enter the Broadwater, the venue where I was covering my first show for Hollywood Fringe 2019, to the recording of individuals revealing whatever it is they are afraid of:

Rats –

Those inflatable flailing arm balloon Tall Boys –

Condiments –

Caitlin Cook opens her show with two confessions:

  • She likes pineapple on her pizza
  • She killed a man

She then down pedals us away from the tasty and macabre and proceeds to share her theory on The Law of Superpowers, the hypothesis of which is that everyone has one.

Not the comic book variety like Congo Bill, Duo Damsel or Bouncing Boy, but like her brother’s superhuman ability to spot stuff.

Like Hitler’s features on a mountain side.

She also relates her art studies and treats us to a Reader’s Digest version of her dissertation on the subject of phallic representations depicted on archaic, classical and Hellenistic statuary, entitled, “Why Dem Dicks So Small?”

Positioned between this humorous banter are amusing songs like, “I Just Want America to Love Me Like They Love Michelle Obama’s Arms” and “Raping Baby Seals.”

Eventually we do learn about the man she killed.

The weakness in  Caitlin Cook: Death Wish  is its disjointed narrative arc and a dramatic thrust that is a tad more foible than forte.

The strength of this one-person show  is in the performer herself who is talented, clever and packed with promise for bigger and better things.Fringe Award-Gold Medal-The TVolution

Now perhaps the show was more SILVER  than not, but Ms. Cook herself was better than the production, so –

A GOLD MEDAL!

 


 

For complete show information go to: http://hff19.org/5703

For the total lowdown on events, plays and fun happenings during Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019 (running 06/13/19 to 06/30/19) go to: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/

 


Written by

An award-winning L.A. playwright and rabble-rouser of note who has hoisted glasses with Orson Welles, been arrested on three continents and once beat up Charlie Manson. His first play, "Among the Vipers" was a semi-finalist in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition and was featured in the Carnegie-Mellon Showcase of New Plays. It was produced at the NPT Theater in Ashland, Oregon and Los Angeles’ celebrated Odyssey Ensemble Theatre. His following play, “The Little Boy Who Loved Monsters” was produced at The Hollywood Actors Theater, where he earned praise from the Los Angeles Times for his “…inordinately creative writing.” The play went on to numerous other productions including Berlin’s The Black Theatre under the direction of Rainer Fassbinder who wrote in his program notes of Kearney, “He is a skilled playwright, but more importantly he is a dangerous one.” Ernest Kearney has worked as literary manager or as dramaturge for among others The Hudson Theater Guild, Nova Diem and the Odyssey Ensemble Theatre, where he still serves on the play selection committee. He has been the recipient of two Dramalogue Awards and a finalist or semi-finalist, three times, in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition. His work has been performed by Michael Dunn, Sandra Tsing Loh, Jack Colvin and Billy Bob Thornton, and to date, either as playwright or director, he has upwards of a hundred and thirty productions under his belt, including a few at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater as puppeteer. Kearney remains focused on his writing, as well as living happily ever after with his lovely wife Marlene. His stage reviews and social essays can be found at TheTVolution.com and workingauthor.com. Follow him on Facebook.

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