SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
A CurtainUp Review
machines, machines, machines, machines, machines, machines, machines
|
Civilization is just like a little baby. We must cradle that baby in our arms..—The Chief Commander
|
Trey Lyford in machines machines machines...
|
Goldberg's machines have been included in several films including Soup to Nuts (1930) featuring The Three Stooges, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang featuring a car with a mind of its own. Quinn Bauriedel, Trey Lyford and Geoff Sobelle's machines machines machines machines machines machines machines may be the first staged production in which Rube Goldberg-style machines take over.
Machines7 (as the show will be called henceforth in this review) is directed by Aleksandra Wolska with some help from Charlotte Ford, but as the show really revolves around the machines, most of the credit must go to their creators, Steven Dufala and Billy Blaise Dufala. As a matter of fact, much of the action and dialogue seem to be improvised as the play progresses. At least one hopes so. Otherwise there is little to account for the redundancy and inconsistency of the action and speech that goes along with the play's falling objects, spinning wheels, and semi-operational pulleys and levers.
Machines7 is about the adventures (mostly recalled) of three men: The Chief Commander (Quinn Bauriedel), Phineas (Geoff Sobelle) and Liam (Trey Lyford). They are dressed in a Salvation Army-style wardrobe consisting of undershirts, old combat uniforms and (in one case) a kilt. Onstage, they prepare and eat breakfast with the help (one might say hindrance) of the many machines. But it seems they have been, are on, or will be undertaking some mission. They talk in heroic terms, except for Liam who speaks into a rubber hose.
The Commander enters on a toilet seat. Phineas gets eaten by a couch but reappears through a trap door. The show climaxes with a battle at sea.
Machines7 might have impress some as hilarious. It would be a funny skit for about ten minutes, a bit longer for a 12-year-old. But at one hour and twenty minutes it produced a reaction in this reviewer that progressed from boredom to annoyance.
According to the program notes, rainpan 43, the collaborative that created Machines7 (as well as all wear bowlers a show which delighted Curtainup reviewer Jenny Sandman), "is dedicated to creating innovative, actor-driven absurdist plays that are at once deeply profound and utterly ridiculous." Given the innate contradiction of these two terms, one has no choice but to pick the most appropriate description— utterly ridiculous.
|
machines, machines, machines, machines, machines, machines, machines By Quinn Bauriedel, Geoff Sobelle and Trey Lyford Directed by Quinn Bauriedel Cast: Quinn Bauriedel (The Chief Commander), Geoff Sobelle (Phineas), Trey Lyford (Liam) Machine Design & Set Treatment: Steven Dufala and Billy Blaise Dufala Sound Design: James Sugg Sound Design/Music Machines: Sean Mattio Scene Design: Hiroshi Iwasaki Lighting Design: James Clotfelter House Light Design: Marlon Hurt Running Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, no intermission HERE Arts Center 145 Avenue of the Americas From 6/02/09; closing 6/27/09 Wednesday through Saturday at 8:30pm, Sunday at 4pm Tickets: $20-$28 Reviewed by Paulanne Simmons June 10, 2009 |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. You can also contact us at Curtainup at Facebook or Curtainup at Twitter |
Try onlineseats.com for great seats to
Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide
Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide