SAFE - reviews
 

A Robbery That's Light on Gravitas
By: NEIL GENZLINGER
The New York Times, June 21, 2003

Drat those cellphones. They've killed off one of the oldest literary gimmicks, the "strand people on a lifeboat or mountainside and watch them consume one another" plot line. Or have they?

The attempt to call for help with cellphones is one of many outlandishly amusing moments in "Safe," a new play that finds five people stuck in a bank safe during a robbery. Two of the five are packing phones, probably the national average. The outcome? No rescue, but a wry sendup of a certain ubiquitous television commercial.

Not that "Safe" is a comedy. Rather, it's a drama that doesn't take itself very seriously, and thus is a guilty pleasure. You know you're watching a lightweight work built on a hoary, unbelievable premise, but you don't care because it's so entertaining.

That is largely because the cast finds a nice comfort zone, one situated in a land called Over-the-Top. It wasn't hard to find, probably, because several of the principals have worked together a lot, on the NBC drama "Third Watch": Jason Wiles is the obligatory crazed member of the stranded quintet; Coby Bell is the character he clashes with; and Anthony Ruivivar, an actor on "Third Watch," makes his directorial debut here.

Mr. Ruivivar also wrote the play, with Tony Glazer. Their script seems unpolished but the actors make the most of what's there, with Mr. Wiles doing some spectacular foaming at the mouth. Yvonne Jung is very funny as a ditsy young teller, Carlin Glynn is the just-stay-calm bank manager, and Henry Afro-Bradley is suitably dazed as a security guard who has been whacked over the head.

The surprise ending is as unabashedly unconvincing as what has come before, but for the $15 ticket price you'll be in a forgiving mood. The claustrophobic José Quintero Theater, at 534 West 42nd Street, is perfect for the play, making you feel as if you're in the safe, too. "Safe" runs through June 28.

SAFE: A Review by Elias Stimac
BACKSTAGE, June 23, 2003

"Safe" plays it anything but. This slick and edgy play by Tony Glazer and Anthony Ruivivar starts with chaos in the darkness and doesn't let up until its illuminating finale. Accusations, insinuations, physical force, and mental abuse swirl together in a maelstrom that challenges the civility and humanity of a random group of people.

The stainless-steel set design by Antje Ellermann, intricately lit by Shawn K. Kaufman, raises expectations immediately. The play takes place entirely in a bank vault, and the environment is both impressive and oppressive. Mark Bruckner's sound effects set up the scene -- two gunmen are forcing a handful of bank employees and customers into the safe amid screams and shouts of protest. One by one, the pressures of danger and possible death -- inside and outside the vault -- test the breaking point of innocent people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

Glazer and Ruivivar have crafted a riveting piece of drama, sprinkled liberally with comedic confrontations and maddening mind games. Ruivivar also convincingly stages the action, using the claustrophobic conditions to heighten the tension among the five unwitting hostages.

The ensemble members are fully rooted in reality, and each suspicious gesture and nervous tic speaks volumes in the confined quarters. Carlin Glynn is pensive and practical as the bank manager, while Yvonne Jung comically loses her cool every few seconds as a harried teller. Coby Bell makes the most of the mild-mannered customer who is pushed to the limit, and Henry Afro-Bradley is credibly cranky as a muddled security guard. Jason Wiles has the meatiest role as the most outspoken member of the group, taking charge and talking down to the others, but even his character elicits a level of concern by the end.

In addition to the technical contributions listed above, the costumes by Estee Stanley are both character-defining and comfortable.

SAFE: A Review by Matt Windman
TheatreMania.com, June 17, 2003

About ten minutes into the second act of Safe, a loud noise suddenly spread throughout the theater. Yet, for some reason, the actors did not pay attention to this disturbance. They did, however, look very confused. Suddenly, an usher ran to the front of the stage and informed everyone that the smoke detector had been set off and everyone had to vacate the theater immediately. However, despite the fact that this two-hour show ended at 11pm instead of 10pm at this press preview, the audience attending this Off-Broadway production of the Imua! Theatre Company stayed into the night to learn the fate of the main characters, all of whom are in a state of grave danger in the show.

As an amusing, intimate, and comical piece, Safe has the makings of an Off-Broadway success and regional theater hit. The comedy features five New Yorkers trapped in a bank safe after the bank is robbed by a pack of thieves. At the opening of the show, in the midst of a blackout and loud techno music, we hear the voice of a robber forcing our characters into the safe. What immediately follows is a discussion about what the robbers want and how they can get out of their current dilemma. Because it just happens to be Saturday, it is unknown whether or not anyone is actually aware that the bank has been robbed. As the show goes on, the drama increases as the characters become more violent and wary of their situation. However, Tony Glazer and Anthony Ruivivar's text never loses its comic sensibility, keeping the audience both engaged and cheerful.

The show's vault situation is utilized for a character study about what happens when five very different people (consider factors such as economics, age, sexuality and intelligence) are forced into a life-or-death situation. The relationships that grow between the characters are pivotal to the intensifying drama of the piece. Each of them is very, very stereotypical and dressed accordingly. The best way to describe the show would be to illustrate the characters:

1. Truss (Jason Wiles), who might be described as the psycho of the clan. He attempts to take command by insisting that he become the group's leader (there's even a voting procedure). He also takes it upon himself to strangle other characters that seem disobedient, destroy the group's only cell phone by stomping violently on it, and steal a gun from the security guard. He even convinces his comrades at one point that the best option for the group would be to light the safe on fire in an attempt to gain attention. Interestingly, Wiles also has a very noticeable mustache for the show (maybe to mirror another dictator?).

2. Oakley (Henry Afro-Bradley), the bank's old, senile security guard who is said to have fallen asleep on the job (perhaps leading to the present robbery). He also suffered a major head injury during the incident, as shown by blood gushing all over his forehead. Why is his name Oakley? Well, it gives Truss the opportunity to accidentally call him Oakland.

3. Feliz (Carlin Glynn), the bank's manager who just happened to forget to turn on the police alarm after the robbers bombarded the bank. Unlike the others, she does not have big dramatic moments, nor does she ever become the center of conflict. She remains hopeful that her husband will notice that she has not come home for dinner.

4. Sabina (Yvonne Jung), the young, attractive, and very dumb bank clerk. However, it is she who eventually saves the day by pointing out something about their situation that no on else has bothered to notice. Interestingly, as everyone else becomes more violent and dramatic, she just keeps taking off more and more clothing until there is nothing left but a white undershirt and a lot of cleavage.

5. Ryan (Coby Bell), the male youngster of the group. With a sweater jacket and a crew cut, he is there to represent the upper-middle class, philosophy-driven college student. At one point he discusses his special condition known as animatronic-phobia. "I am convinced that I will die at the hands of some kind of puppet." As the drama continues, he tends to act increasingly gay. Because he is the most obvious threat to Truss's power, he is hand-cuffed to a pole for the entire second act.

The text feels like a no-holds-barred version of Reginald Rose's classic 12 Angry Men. Here we have a text that places its characters in an inescapable, life-changing situation used to reveal their true and very primitive identities. However, unlike 12 Angry Men, we have interaction between both men and women. And, most importantly, there is no threat from outside order, allowing verbal abuse, physical abuse, and even murder to occur. With a five-character setup and a surprise ending, Safe has the feel of an old-fashioned murder mystery. Drama, laughs, and violence with a hidden emphasis on political corruption and group psychology can make quite an enjoyable evening.

SAFE: A Review by Laurie Lawson
electroniclink.com, June 6, 2003

SAFE, a new play by Tony Glazer and Anthony Ruivivar, is a dark comedy that is going to keep you captivated from beginning to end. The entire action takes place inside a bank vault where robbers have herded five mismatched victims/hostages. The characters are thoroughly delightful and wacky with enough neuroses, obsessions, delusions, and fantasies to keep their small prison alive and vibrant. Their conflicts and bickering, along with their manipulations and compliances, allow them to bond and "unbond" highlighting the sophisticated wit and sarcasm of this work. The stellar performances of the cast breathe believability into personalities that have crossed the line from socially functional to panicked paranoia. In addition to playwright/director Ruivivar, "Third Watch" fans will be excited by appearances of the TV series regulars Jason Wiles and Coby Bell. Tony-Award winner Carlin Glynn is the voice of reason amidst the chaos, and Henry Afro-Bradley and Yvonne Jung provide plenty of whole-hearted chuckles.

If you're looking for an evening of entertainment that includes a cleverly polished play, jam-packed with stars and perfectly directed, SAFE is a safe bet.

SAFE: A Review by Ethan Kellerd
digitalcity.com

More and more, television actors are spending their summertime hiatuses back in New York, reconnecting with their theater roots. Sometimes the players are high profile (like Benjamin Bratt and Julianna Margulies in MCC Theater's 'Intrigue with Faye'), but very often it's a quiet thing. You can put 'Safe,' produced by the Imua! Theatre Company, among the latter. Co-written by 'Third Watch' star Anthony Ruivivar and Imua! member artist Tony Glazer, two of Ruivivar's small-screen cohorts, Jason Wiles (pictured left) and Coby Bell, star in the play. The piece itself is a recycling of an old plot scheme -- meet five people stuck in a bank safe after a robbery goes awry -- but it's the way the authors smartly explore the inner life of the characters that provides depth and catharsis. The production also stars Tony Award-winner Carlin Glynn, Henry Afro-Bradley (pictured right) and Yvonne Jung, all under Ruivivar's direction -- his first time for the stage.

Between the Lines - review

A Review: Between the Lines Premiere Draws Good Crowd.
By: Bill Williams, PI Editor
Paris Post-Intelligencer, April 10th, 2000.

The first New York theatre production ever to premiere in Henry County drew good crowds in the Krider Performing Arts Center Friday thru Sunday for an evening of one-act plays whose cast of four included Paris' own Summer Moore. Titled Between the Lines, the series of five playlets will be presented April 24th-28th at the Theatre at St. Clements, 423 West 46th Street on the edge of New York's theatre district. The New York theatre is the home of an Episcopal Church, which has lively ministry to theatre and the arts, conducting its Sunday worship services from that stage of whatever production happens to be running at that time. It is home base for several theatre troupes, and acclaimed performers including Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and Faye Dunaway appeared there early in their careers.

The five playlets, three comedies and two dramas, gave the cast of four the opportunity to display the variety of skills the stage requires. Without elaborate scenery, props or costumes, Choice used brief movie scenes to introduce each piece. Director Nathan Halvorson employed these devices very effectively. Miss Moore showed deft comic touches - where did she come up with that hairdo? - in the opening play of the series.

"Little Miss Fresno" by Mary Gallagher and Ara Watson, had her as a clueless mother just entering the perilously competitive world of children's beauty contests. The versatile Jamie Marrs was the old pro, sharpening her claws on an unsuspecting but resilient victim. The other two actors, Carolyn Humphrey and Eric Marseglia, paired off for the first drama, "The Agreement," by Douglas Taylor. Sort of an updating of "A Doll's House," it made the point that the relationship between a man and a woman needs more than a cohabitation contract. She wants a baby and a life. He wants a roommate and a housekeeper. Sparks fly. She splits. From dramatic intensity, Marseglia switched nicely to comic timing. He and Miss Moore were old flames reuniting at a bar, months after their breakup. They could resume old passions in an instant … if he weren't so darned inquisitive about what she'd been doing all that time.

"The Interrogation," by Murphy Geyer. If you could do something over enough times, you could finally get it right. That was the premise of the cleverest play of the night, "Sure Thing," by David Ives. It is the story of a pickup in a coffee house, with Marseglia and Miss Marrs spinning lines trippingly from the tongue at a delightful pace. Each time something went wrong in their tête-à-tête, a bell would ding and the actors would back up to the last successful point. Thus: "Is this seat taken?" "Yes." Ding! "Is this seat taken?"

The final drama, "Ghost Stories" by Annie Evans, was the longest of the night and the toughest to pull off. Three girlfriends of long standing go camping in the woods to talk things out after the attempted suicide of one of them. Miss Moore had the central role of Alex, frantic in a "perfect" marriage that trapped her in a life of conformity. Like Job's three friends, Alex's two try to talk some sense into her head. The trouble is that their heads aren't exactly on right either. There is Miss Humphrey as Dodie, terrified of the opposite sex after her first experience at romance turned into a humiliation. And Miss Marrs as Margaret, the ambitious climber who can't understand why Alex doesn't want to be like her. Summer Moore wasn't the only Paris connection in this production. The executive producer for the group, Choice Films, was Clint McCoy. Christina Goodman's photography was featured in a behind-the-scenes look at Choice, Roy Hawkins handled sound and lighting and Ken Alexander was the set designer. Audiences here will rarely get a chance to see an acting troupe from the world's theatre capital, and it was a bonus to have the hometown connection. We can wish Choice Films much success in their New York run.

Quintet of One-Act Plays
Will Premiere at KPAC
April 7-9.
By: Bill McCutcheon,
PI Staff Writer
Paris Post Intelligencer, February 2000.

A production on the way to a New York City stage will premiere in Paris at the Krider Performing Arts Center. Between the Lines is actually five separate one-act plays with two to four characters in each.

Produced by a new organization, Choice Films, the evening of comedy and drama is set for performances at 7:30 p.m. April 7-8, with a final matinee performance at 1:30 p.m. April 9th. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. A half-hour before each performance, a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the production of Between the Lines will be presented. This show will feature photography by Paris native Christina Goodman, daughter of Carey and Carolyn Goodman. Christina is now employed in Manhattan at The Wall Street Journal. One of the principals of Choice Films is Paris native Summer Moore, who will also be one of the actresses. " We've adopted a mission statement for Choice Films that helps explain our goals," said Ms. Moore on a recent visit. Their mission, she said, is "to present accessible art that incorporates all the promise of modern technologies; to attract the MTV generation as well as their parents and grandparents; to create a rich theatre experience that speaks to our contemporary way of life." The evening will utilize just about every technical and electronic feature of KPAC. A cinematographer has filmed a preview trailer for each play that will run prior to each segment of Between the Lines. Original music by Sarah Lentz and Teddy Goldstein will also be used. In addition to Ms. Moore, the other actors featured in the plays are: Carolyn Humphrey, Jamie Marrs and Eric Margselia. Nathan Halvorson directs. Following its premiere here, "Between the Lines" is scheduled to open at St. Clements Theatre in midtown Manhattan in late April.

Love, Angst & the Way In - review

Midnightmind
a review of Love, Angst & the Way In
By Julie Dunn

Love, Angst and the Way In - Disjointed yet Enjoyable, "Love, Angst and the Way In," directed by Tony Glazer and production by Choice Films, is a series of five short plays interwoven with a short film. The fast paced production is both entertaining and well written, with a few bumpy moments that don't spoil the show. The ongoing theme of love relationships, in one way or another, is portrayed best when the characters are dealing with the fact that love relationships don't always turn out as we dream.

Traded In is by far the strongest piece in the set. Jamie Marrs shines as a woman facing reality after a run-in with an ex-lover and his new girlfriend. She is hilarious as the spurned woman drunk dialing her ex to tell him off as she announces "I would rather be called a stalker than a co-dependent train wreck." She moves easily to anger as she tells off Patty Parker, who plays the friend and voice of reason, to true sadness as she realizes that life hasn't turned out at all as planned. The piece by Brent Askari is both well written and well acted.

Darn It, takes a hilarious look at office dating in our legalistic society. Written by Michael Folie and starring Caroline Burrow, Pat Cioffi, Jason Frost and Jamie Marrs, this funny piece succinctly shows how quickly the details of an office relationship can spin out of control.

Veronica Watt shines in Dust, with Laurence Blum, who plays her husband in a funny and touching piece illustrating the "conversational judo" that couples use to talk circles around an issue. Well written by Michael Folie, the dialogue gives us strong and enjoyable characters, with the actors not even needing to get out of their bed.

Gone Blind, the short silent film by Tony Glazer running throughout the play, does a great job of entertaining the audience during the spartan scene changes at the 78th Street Theatre Lab. The humorous story of both sides trying to get to a doomed blind date provides continuity with clever cameo appearances by characters from the other pieces. Comedically predictable but still amusing, Caroline Barrow and Chris Thompson are entertaining in this sweet film.

The last play, Mona in the Morning, by Eric R. Pfeffinger, brings the whole cast onto the stage for a campy talk show poking fun at sitcoms and daytime television. Andrea Marshall-Money does a funny send up of a daytime talk show host, using surprise guest tactics and Oprah drama ploys, along with the Summer Moore as the pushy psychologist relentlessly promoting her self-help book. This cleverly written piece highlights the complaints of fictional television characters, like not having last names or birthdays. It provides closure with a big finish, but doesn't necessarily fit in with the flow of show.

"Love, Angst & the Way In" is the third theatrical production for Choice Films. Choice Films states their mission as "to attract the MTV generation as well as their parents and grandparents." Director Tony Glazer does a nice job of putting together a disjointed group of plays with a variety of talent levels. "Love" has strong ideas and big talents and is at its best when it focuses on the heart.

* Julie Dunn is a freelance reporter living in NYC.

"The caliber of the acting in this production surpasses anything I have seen Off-Off Broadway, or even Off-Broadway in years! And the set design is one of the most amazing playgrounds for the actor I have ever witnessed in this type of space." - Tony Greco: Dovetail Entertainment & Maria Greco Casting

"The dedication these young artists have given to their work on this piece is truly amazing. What they have accomplished is a sight to behold!" - Alan Langdon: Circle in the Square

"The quality of the work was so refreshing, so honest. It was beautifully acted by interesting and intelligent women." - Beth Bower: Broadway Actress - Regional Director

"This was a most enjoyable evening. The play is great - the acting is superb - I am so glad I got the chance to see it." - Noel Katz: New York Musical Director

"This play is too good not to be shared. A really outstanding job." - Lewis Chambers: The Bethel Agency

"The acting was wonderful. It was a very enjoyable evening." - Ann Wright: Ann Wright Representatives

Play Reviews: "… [a] wonderfully entertaining play…" - The New York Post

"FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS is a fresh-as-a-daisy comedy, funny as can be." - The New York Daily News

"Ball has the comic writer's requisite for dialogue that ricochets snappily around the stage." - Theatre Week

“Sketch comedy fun with a bite” is the best way to describe the sketch comedy group TUNE iN, which played to a standing-room only house at Caroline’s On Broadway. Fast paced and hilarious, the group charged the stage and into their fifty minute set with a fevered intensity rarely seen in the sketch comedy circuit these days.

TUNE iN combines sketch comedy, political satire and television parodies, both live and filmed, in a manic paced, ferociously funny set. Although some of the sketches did not always land and a few members of the cast were not entirely up to task, the show rarely disappointed.

While the momentum of the show itself became a source of amusement, in the end it was director Tony Glazer’s perfect pacing and strong lead writing that kept the audience on their toes and rapt with laughter. If only sketch comedy shows on television would follow suit.

*Christina Goodman is a freelance writer and photographer living in New York. Previously at the Wall Street Journal, Christina now works for G & J Publishing.