“Uncivil Correctness”… Not Quite

By Ernest Kearney  —  Uncivil Correctness: Joan Rivers, Abbie Hoffman, Bin Laden, apparently, began as a class project and, unfortunately, it still feels like one.

On a garbage-strewn stage Madison Ashley Young comes out as Joan Rivers and manages a fairly good impression of the late comedian, but one that is unsteady at best.  She does a good job of telling the tale of Rivers’ life but she undercuts the strength of her narrative by dashing offstage three times for very unnecessary costume changes.

Ali Abdullah portrays Bin Laden on the night that the Navy Seals finally brought justice to him. Abdullah’s segment has moments, such as Bin Laden enjoying kitten and cat videos from YouTube, but otherwise seems rather rambling.

His portion ends with a strong visual image, which I suspect was the springboard of the whole project. While a forceful image indeed, it doesn’t excuse the weakness of the overall piece.

The strongest segment of the evening is Steven Syzdio as Abbie Hoffman.  Syzdio captures the innocence and outrage of Hoffman well and restricts his narrative to Hoffman’sbronze ribbon - Fringe Festival early beginnings as a spokesman for the Yippie movement.

Don K. Williams is credited as the “supervising director.”  I suggest more supervising in the future.

Mainly for an interesting choice of subject matter and on the strong back of Syzdio’s performance — a BRONZE MEDAL.

♦    ♦    ♦

Uncivil Correctness: Joan Rivers, Abbie Hoffman, Bin Laden

Is Playing During the Hollywood Fringe Festive 2018

at

Art of Acting Studio

1017 North Orange Drive

For Complete Show Information, Tickets and Reservations Go To:

http://hff18.org/5326


What is the Hollywood Fringe Festival? Read HERE to Learn More..



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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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