Last Saturday night a small bunch of us did something different that turned out to be a lot of fun. We went to see six 15 minute plays put on by The Valley Repertory Company here in Enfield. Then we got to vote on our 3 favorites.
The first one was entitled "Hot Cup of Soul" and was about a young man trying to sell his soul to the devil in return for fame and fortune. They acted out the interview process in a coffee shop! During the interview the devils rep told the young man that he didn't want it bad enough and he wasn't a viable candidate for the devil. The twist to it was at the end, after the young man left and the devil's representative left as well....another man came in and it turned out HE was the devil. The previous guy (who talked the young man into putting an effort into making his own life great) was an angel of sorts sent to save the young man and foil the devils game.
This play was ok in my book but not as good as some of the others that came up later. It ended up winning second place however.
"Another Dover" was up next which was about a young man riding on a bus talking to the spirit of his dead sister. This one was odd and it took some time for most of us to understand what was going on. In the long run you realized that his sister had committed suicide to escape the horrible life their mother had raised them in. But the brother (the one riding the bus) decides to go back to his home town and face all the bad things in his life that had made him an outcast in his present life. A very odd concept for a comedy night...certainly not funny. It made you think but it didn't seem to fit in with the other plays.
Next came "Customer Service" which was a man on the phone with the customer service dept of a company that provides the sports channel at his home. The frustration he went through just getting to an actual human was funny because we've all been there. He eventually talks to a female rep that seems to turn everything around to sound like a sexual advance and in the end he ends up not canceling his sports package but actually extending it for 2 more years!! The play ends up with him realizing what just happened and starting the call all over again. The crowd liked this one a lot!
After an intermission the next play was "How Nice of You to Ask". It took place in an old woman's apartment with a young man arriving to conduct a survey with her. She offers him tea and finds out this is a sex survey! I can't give you a blow by blow on this one but it was very funny. The stuff that this old lady was telling him was hysterical. And she was overly concerned with what her neighbors gave as answers too. Lets put it this way, you never would have believed this stuff was coming from a little old lady....until she admits she used to be a call girl and that explains why she knows so much and has had so many lovers. I loved this one and voted it as my top choice. I believe it ended up getting first place in the overall vote.
"An Actual Baby Person" was up next. This was a play about a young couple having a baby. The father comes in on a skate board and his name is Dagger. The mother is folding laundry and her name is Squishy. You can imagine what kind of parents these two are going to be. Well it was ok I suppose...but not as good as some of the others. I wasn't impressed with the general story line and it was forgettable to me.
The last play of the evening was "What You Wish For" and it was pretty good. It took place in a 'dismal, windowless office' so I could relate to it that's for sure. The characters of Judith (has a secret crush on Benny); Benny (clueless about Judith and always late for work) and Sid (the office dweeb and generally not well liked) and the boss (woman with a love for power) were played out very well. Judith gets three magic wishes and ends up engaged to Sid, who she hates but Sid pulls out a winning lotto ticket (forgot he won) and he's rich now which was one of her wishes too. Sid is very happy with this arrangement but still longs for an office chair with wheels! Benny gets some wishes and blows it by losing his job and yet still manages to get married to Judith with one wish. Now he is penniless; fired and has Judith for a wife. And all the way through it they keep getting caught doing something that ticks the boss off and she spends all her time yelling to make them cringe...eventually firing Benny to make her day.
I know I'm murdering this play in my description. It was really very funny and well written and I enjoyed it a great deal. Unfortunately it didn't win first or second place. I don't think they announced which one won third place...but it should have been this one.
Overall it was a great evening and we're now scouting around for more plays to watch. I'd forgotten how much I love the theater. The next play we're going to see is "Bus Stop" and it's a romantic comedy. Sounds good. I'll give you a run down after I've seen it.
The first one was entitled "Hot Cup of Soul" and was about a young man trying to sell his soul to the devil in return for fame and fortune. They acted out the interview process in a coffee shop! During the interview the devils rep told the young man that he didn't want it bad enough and he wasn't a viable candidate for the devil. The twist to it was at the end, after the young man left and the devil's representative left as well....another man came in and it turned out HE was the devil. The previous guy (who talked the young man into putting an effort into making his own life great) was an angel of sorts sent to save the young man and foil the devils game.
This play was ok in my book but not as good as some of the others that came up later. It ended up winning second place however.
"Another Dover" was up next which was about a young man riding on a bus talking to the spirit of his dead sister. This one was odd and it took some time for most of us to understand what was going on. In the long run you realized that his sister had committed suicide to escape the horrible life their mother had raised them in. But the brother (the one riding the bus) decides to go back to his home town and face all the bad things in his life that had made him an outcast in his present life. A very odd concept for a comedy night...certainly not funny. It made you think but it didn't seem to fit in with the other plays.
Next came "Customer Service" which was a man on the phone with the customer service dept of a company that provides the sports channel at his home. The frustration he went through just getting to an actual human was funny because we've all been there. He eventually talks to a female rep that seems to turn everything around to sound like a sexual advance and in the end he ends up not canceling his sports package but actually extending it for 2 more years!! The play ends up with him realizing what just happened and starting the call all over again. The crowd liked this one a lot!
After an intermission the next play was "How Nice of You to Ask". It took place in an old woman's apartment with a young man arriving to conduct a survey with her. She offers him tea and finds out this is a sex survey! I can't give you a blow by blow on this one but it was very funny. The stuff that this old lady was telling him was hysterical. And she was overly concerned with what her neighbors gave as answers too. Lets put it this way, you never would have believed this stuff was coming from a little old lady....until she admits she used to be a call girl and that explains why she knows so much and has had so many lovers. I loved this one and voted it as my top choice. I believe it ended up getting first place in the overall vote.
"An Actual Baby Person" was up next. This was a play about a young couple having a baby. The father comes in on a skate board and his name is Dagger. The mother is folding laundry and her name is Squishy. You can imagine what kind of parents these two are going to be. Well it was ok I suppose...but not as good as some of the others. I wasn't impressed with the general story line and it was forgettable to me.
The last play of the evening was "What You Wish For" and it was pretty good. It took place in a 'dismal, windowless office' so I could relate to it that's for sure. The characters of Judith (has a secret crush on Benny); Benny (clueless about Judith and always late for work) and Sid (the office dweeb and generally not well liked) and the boss (woman with a love for power) were played out very well. Judith gets three magic wishes and ends up engaged to Sid, who she hates but Sid pulls out a winning lotto ticket (forgot he won) and he's rich now which was one of her wishes too. Sid is very happy with this arrangement but still longs for an office chair with wheels! Benny gets some wishes and blows it by losing his job and yet still manages to get married to Judith with one wish. Now he is penniless; fired and has Judith for a wife. And all the way through it they keep getting caught doing something that ticks the boss off and she spends all her time yelling to make them cringe...eventually firing Benny to make her day.
I know I'm murdering this play in my description. It was really very funny and well written and I enjoyed it a great deal. Unfortunately it didn't win first or second place. I don't think they announced which one won third place...but it should have been this one.
Overall it was a great evening and we're now scouting around for more plays to watch. I'd forgotten how much I love the theater. The next play we're going to see is "Bus Stop" and it's a romantic comedy. Sounds good. I'll give you a run down after I've seen it.
