|
||||
|
|
Peer Reviews BATCH: A review by Kevin Temple Entire contents are copyright © 2007 Kevin F. Temple. All rights reserved.
In a time when premarital sex is a regular thing, Betsy (played by McKenna Kerrigan) and Taggis (played by Aaron Mumaw) take us through the parties that will precede the wedding to be. Being led to believe that they have not so as much touched, let alone kissed, through the duration of their relationship, we are taken on a lively path to traditional morals. The high points include a delightful transition from an all-male bachelor party to, at the sound of the gong, an all-female bachelorette party. The change in personality by both the men and women, to dictate which party is being attended, is an easy, smooth distinction. Humor thrives when the likes of Jeb Kreager makes a change from big, burly Smoak at the bachelor party to the gentle Matty Jay, until, of course he -- I mean, she -- finds out that she is no longer the maid of honor. Watching the ladies transform from girly-girls into typical men is a joy, through the hand gestures and boyish habits to the primping and pruning to look as good as they can. In the choreography of the party lines to the dancing of the strippers, a lot of time and energy went into making sure that all angles are covered. You can’t help but laugh when Punch, Punch and Punch jump onto the stage as entertainers for the bachelorette party. Likewise, the domination of Special K and Marie A. Antoinette onto the bachelor party is apparent.
Interestingly, video recordings are used in conjunction with the live performance. This combination is a pleasant addition, but not so overwhelming as to take away from the uniqueness of live theater -- a good balance. The story also gets intimate with the addition of adult language and some nudity. On the down side, with the addition of the video recordings, I found myself playing tennis between the screens and the live stage. There may have been parts that I missed because of this tennis-match style observation. I guess I’ll just have to go see it again to make sure. As the wedding party watches, and the newlyweds climb into a cab and drive away, the groomsmen and bridesmaids tell us of their true feelings about each one's relationship to the bride or groom. Through recorded thoughts, we see that the bachelor and bachelorette parties are over. As the characters ponder what is to become of them next, the music kicks in and it’s time for the reception -- but that’s sure to be another story in itself.
BATCH: An American Bachelor/ette Party
Spectacle
Posted Mar. 26, 2007 |
|||
