WAR
August 31 – October 7, 2007
written by Roddy Doyle directed by Karen Kessler In the world of the Pub Quiz, where men are men and the questions sting like crazy, George knows the capital city of every country in the world. Bertie can sniff out a trick question from a hundred paces. On the first Monday of every month, these two giants of the Quiz lock eyes across the five feet of drink-dampened carpet that divides them. But tonight, will George be able to rally his team and bring the unbeatable Bertie to his knees? It’s not just a game, it’s… WAR.
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A lovely must-see rip-roaring production… Scenes explode with shocking intensity. Kessler has orchestrated her hugely engaging cast of 16 to perfection.” Shrewd, amusing, accessible and greatly entertaining... Kessler’s strikingly honest production is a very rich and vibrant affair. Aside from the colorful direction and the remarkable attention to detail, the show works because the actors embrace their characters’ color without forging caricatures... The head-scratching gang are all especially funny." |
Kessler once again proves herself adept at maneuvering bodies in and out of focus without ever compromising the stage picture... Likewise imposing order on the narrative sprawl is Victoria DeIorio's deftly-selected sound design...But it is the commitment that the actors in the 16-member ensemble bestow on each individual character that keeps us always cognizant of the motives and stakes in this fast-paced glimpse of everyday life in a neighborhood not so unlike our own." |
The perfect ensemble opportunity for Karen Kessler's intricately exuberant 16-member cast. The bar scenes are powerfully contrasted with domestic scenes that expose the most ferocious quiz player (a desperately driven Michael Grant) and his long-suffering wife (Sarah Wellington, whose silences speak volumes). Most remarkable is a Benny Hill-like pantomime in which the actors fast-forward the quiz, showing the crazed competition. |