Askew, a collection of four one-acts, will have you falling our of your seat with its hilarity. While there is a slight connection between the pieces, dealing with the thought of how to live in our world today, each piece can be fully enjoyed without any context or as their own. Written by Debra Rich Gettleman and directed by Eric Lewis, the four acts (Salt, The Chair, Presbyopia, and Rose Colored Spectacles) contain a script that definitely helps the play flow, but you cannot help but point out that this play would be nothing without the stellar cast and the energy that permeates from actor to actor.
Each of the four pieces offer a fun look at redundant points in life. “Salt” has a couple attempting to communicate their love to each other, that is often thwarted by the woman’s desire to over-salt all her food. It was a fun start to the play, and the chemistry between the actors Debra Rich and Asa Sholdwz permeated throughout the act. “The Chair” was my favorite of the acts. It was also the longest of the four acts, consisting of one apartment dweller recently acquiring a magnificent leather chair, only to come to the realization that the chair has the smell of urine all over it. Both the first two acts felt like they could have been right out of a Seinfeld bit, exposing the smallest parts of our lives that are capable of hilarity. The third act, “Presbyopia” felt a little bit out of place at times. Consisting of a man and a woman going to lunch together, the woman, again performed by Debra Rich, is coming to the realization that she is crossing the “age threshold” in LA, where reaching 40 means you begin to lose acting opportunities exponentially. While still funny, it was much darker than the rest of the pieces and sometimes dragged on. Michael McFadden, who was also the star of “The Chair”, fit well in both characters, but sometimes it felt a bit forced and clunky. But all was made up with the fourth piece, “Rose Colored Spectacles”, where the show was stolen by Melanie Calderwood’s monologue. Attempting to speak to her husband about her thoughts on the changing world, Calderwood spews out word after word in one of the more hilarious bits I’ve heard in a while.
You can tell that the main premise of the four acts is trying to search for comedy in a world that is getting darker, but it never feels preachy to this extent. I’ve always enjoyed comedy that exposes the everyday life, but it cannot be said enough that the production is highlighted by the amazing performances and energy of this ensemble cast. You will not be disappointed by this production.
Askew by Debra Rich Gettleman. Directed by Eric Lewis. Produced by the Phoenix Theatre as part of the 2017 Seattle Fringe Festival (A Project of Theatre of Puget Sound). Runtime: 45 minutes. Eclectic Theater, 1214 10th Ave, Seattle. Tickets: seattlefringefestival.org. Times: 3/25 12:30PM, 3/26 2:15PM, 3/31 9:30PM, 4/1 5:45PM.