New Voices 14.5 is a series of four different one-act plays that were presented at Alden Hall on September 17, 1996 at 6:30pm. The theatre was small in size, just proportional to the number of people attending. These four plays showed different aspects of theatre.
"Imperfect Timing" was a comedy by playwright Amy Sinyei and directed by Misa Billa. It was about a young guy named Jason, played by Keith Turi, becoming frustrated over a girl named Maggie, played by Courtney Lewis. Though not funny to Jason, it was funny in the eyes of the audience. Jason finds Maggie attractive and uses comic lines to hit on her, but she is too naive to understand he's trying to pick her up. For example Jason says, "the stars are as beautiful as you eyes," and she replies by saying, "what's in my eyes?" It is obvious she has no clue he is trying to pick her up. "Imperfect Timing" was set on a bare stage, meant to be a beach, with the sounds of the ocean in the background. In the end Jason is so sick of Maggie because of her flakiness that he wants to end the outing. The themes of frustration and commitment were evident, as we could compare Jason's initial opinion with his final opinion of Maggie.
"A Little Bitch at the World" was a play I considered a modern tragedy written by playwright Amy Sinyei with director Jessica Sands. It dealt with the way a girl, played by Christina Caverly, was treated after her father died. People only offered her sympathy as if it was what they were expected to do. No one really comforted her. The point of the play was if you do not have anything meaningful or comforting to say at a funeral, why bother. Her friends were sympathetic towards her but, really, were not sincere in offering help. The acting in the play was excellent. The actress showed great facial expression and voice tone which really revealed the feelings of the character. The only thing I criticize in the play was that the scenery could have been more detailed. A way the audience knew the play was dealing with death was by the actors wearing black clothes. The lighting used in the scenery to portray a funeral was excellent. It gave the extra feeling of death.
"Retrain (Protocol)" was a science fiction play written by N. Harrison Ripps with director Dean O'Donnell. The theme dealt with scientists fooling around with nature. If you try to alter the norm it will eventually backfire. This was portrayed very well by Jane, played by Anna Matzal, who was a synthetic replica of a human. She was built to act and think like a human but in the end she figures out what she is being used for and kills the people who made her. I would give the actors a great deal of credit because they showed a lot of emotion which allowed you to have a better picture of the scene in your head. A surprise I had was that the language used may be considered offensive. Then again, without the harsh language the point of the play would not have been emphasized so well.
Finally my favorite play was "A View from the Tower," by Roy S. Rubinstein. It was a comedy poking fun at the way people deal with their problems. This play was extremely funny not only because of the way it was acted out and presented but also because you could relate to it. The characters, Jim and Professor Robbins, played by Matthew Denicourt and Allen Sterling respectively, had problems with the Tenure Committee, DAKA food, cops giving tickets, and other matters. They decide to shoot those people because they did not agree with them. The acting was excellent by making the shooting scenes comic. The actors used great facial expressions and voice tone, making everything seem funny. The scenery was fine because all the acting took place from Boynton tower overlooking the people below. I definitely feel this was the best play in the New Voices production.
My overall evaluation of New Voices was that it provided a great evening of entertainment. The atmosphere was comfortable and pleasant, making everything relaxing. The acting in all the plays was superb. I really enjoyed the plays as did the others in the audience.