adapted and directed by Amy Rummenie
based on the book by Mark Leidner
February 16 – March 3, 2018
Red Eye Theater
Why can’t you get it together, find someone nice, and just be happy with them, dammit?!
Imagine the worst breakup ever. No: even worse than that. Revel in the absurd fears, tender hopes, and unrealized fantasies that make us act like idiots. This charming new show about love and its many catastrophes is probably appropriate for a date. Or not. It depends on the date.
Cast
Ensemble – Ricardo Beaird
Ensemble – Neal Beckman
Ensemble – David Beukema
Ensemble – Anna Hickey
Ensemble – Allison Witham
Narrator – Jean Wolff
Production Team
Director – Amy Rummenie
Costumes – A. Emily Heaney
Lighting – Barry Browning
Sound – Aaron Newman
Stage Manager – Callie Meiners
Illustrations – Becca Hart
Production Manager – David Pisa
Paper Installation Artist – Coal Dorius
Reviews
“Rummenie adeptly handles the task of adapting Leidner’s work for the stage. The audience experiences twenty-one scenes all touching on the enigmatic, ever-shifting qualities of personal Relationships… The play is anchored by Jean Wolff as the no-frills narrator. As the writer who pounds out the stories on her laptop, Wolff guides us through vignettes of love gone wrong. The other five actors play multiple roles with Neal Beckman (especially good in a funny/sad role as Nurse) and Allison Witham (who turns in layered performances in whatever play she is cast) are the standout performers in a solid, experienced cast. Clever surprises, excellent choreography punctuated by crisp movements, and fluid facial expressions sustain the humor in the stories. Characters from previous scenes show up occasionally and a metaphorical bus returns to slam into lovelorn characters. Both of these devices help to hang the diverse group of stories together. And the use of props, as they spring suddenly to life, adds to the fun… Final applause must be offered to Paper Installation Artist, Coal Dorius, whose floor to loft drops of semi-translucent white squares turn the long narrow stage at Red Eye Theatre into a well delineated space. The patchwork of torn paper is a perfect metaphor for 21 Extremely Bad Breakups.”
– Mari Wittenbreer, How Was The Show
As many have noted, other people’s breakups are hilarious; our own are tragic. 21 Extremely Bad Breakups tries, and often succeeds, in having it both ways. The play is a collection of breakup tales, adapted by Amy Rummenie from a “chapbook” by Mark Leidner. The production by the Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Red Eye Theater is masterful, with the ensemble playing multiple roles. Every member of the cast is terrific, but one should offer a special shout-out to Allison Witham, whose expert timing and skill at physical comedy shines like a bright star here. Witham can take a simple gesture, like spinning on one’s heels after an encounter and heading out, and somehow make it both off-the-charts hilarious and poignant. That mixture of sadness, absurdity, gentle irony, and wackiness makes it impossible to take your eyes off her.
– Kit Bix, Talkin’ Broadway
