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Channel: Omer Mughal – Asher PR

‘Girls Life’ at Pinch ‘N Ouch Theatre

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Billed as “a comedy” by writer and director Grant McGowen, “Girls Life” brings few laughs. However, there’s hope as the cast and director of the show that I saw changes on Oct. 13, so things could improve.

The premise of the play appears to be that grown women act like college coeds. The play opens with three women –aged approximately 31 years old– smoking pot and getting drunk in an apartment that is shared by two of the women–Catey (Jordan Demers) and Janie (Christie Vozniak). The three talk about getting shit-faced and getting laid. Scene. Janie is in a man’s bedroom, demanding he have sex with her, but he won’t do it. She goes in a rage, yelling and screaming at him to f* her now. What we see is a lot of “acting,” a lot of “ouch” screaming, but there’s no “pinch” behind it all. Turns out this manic Janie is an obstetrician, living with another woman in a sparsely furnished apartment, getting wasted, cavorting with a 20-something busboy/waiter, Alex (Pedro Ferreira) and then going to work to deliver babies. So she’s an obstetrician making a six-figure salary living with a scattered-brain woman who is not quite sure which gender she prefers, in what appears to be a tiny tenement. Not only is that hard to buy, we learn there is more history to Janie’s relationship with this man, and based on that history, it’s surprising that she would even be with him. Maybe a college “girl” would, but a 31-year-old doctor? It’s far from plausible.

Catey, who has a boyfriend, is seeing a woman on the side, Liza (Alexa Staudt). Supposedly these two are passionate about each other, but their kissing didn’t seem the least bit passionate.

The best scene is the one in the above video, between Diana (Jackie Costello) and Jack (Omer Mughal), two people really relating to one another. It’s simple, without manufactured drama, but there’s plenty of drama there in those moments, and the dialog feels real. These two characters are believable, and the best acting of the show happens between them.

After Oct. 8, “Girls Life” will run with a new cast up until Oct. 23 under the direction of Michelle Pokopac at Pinch N’ Ouch.

The cast for Oct. 13-23: Rylee Bunton, Brian Ashton Smith, Candace Kitchens, Alex Frazier, Mala Bhattacharya, Alyx Libby. Direction will be by Michelle Pokopac.


‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ at Pinch ‘N’ Ouch

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L to R: Alex Van, Al Stilo and Jayson Warner Smith (in background)

You may have seen it a few years ago on the Hertz Stage at the Alliance Theatre, but “Glengarry Glen Ross” by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet, is playing again, this time at Pinch ‘N’ Ouch Theatre. Even if you’ve seen the play before, there’s good reason to see this production: two stellar performances by Al Stilo and Alex Van. These two carry the play, but castmate Marcus LaRon trails only slightly behind. The rest of the cast is left in the dust, but when these two stars are on stage, Mamet’s script zips along with a roar.

It’s the 1980s, and an office of deceitful salesmen are attempting to sell properties and get their names on the sales board to win the latest contest. Years ago Shelly Levene (Al Stilo) was the star of the salesforce, but he tells his office manager, John (Omer Mughal), that the reason he hasn’t been making sales in years is because he only gets bad sales leads.

Dave (Alex Van) has a plan on how he can make money and get back at management for not taking care of its sales force. When his scheme goes awry, he flails about foaming at the mouth. Richard (Grant McGowen) suckers James (Marcus LaRon) into buying some land he can’t afford. When James realizes he’s been conned, he comes down to the office shaking and crying.

Directed by Grant McGowen, “Glengarry Glen Ross” features two separate casts. The night I saw the show, it also featured Andy Fleming and Jennifer Schottstaedt. The show runs through Sept. 23 at Pinch ‘N’ Ouch Theatre.





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