THE HANGOVER REPORT – A pair of A.R. Gurney one act world premieres at The Flea marks the end of an era

It was with bittersweet emotions that I walked through the doors of 41 White Street in Tibeca last week. You see, the plays currently in residence, a pair of one act world premieres by the prolific A.R. Gurney, marks the final shows to be presented by The Flea Theater at the address, which has been the company’s home for approximately 20 years (they move just down the street in the coming months). Mr. Gurney’s two new plays are being presented under the umbrella title Two Class Acts, and they both depict budding romantic relationships between college professors and their respective students. This being Gurney, however, things aren’t always what they initially appear to be.

"Ajax"

“Ajax”

The first of these two “class acts” is entitled Ajax, a two-hander about the tug-of-war between a professor of Ancient Greek Theater (well, adjunct professor-cum-failed actress, really) and one of her free spirited students. It’s a slight play, but a very amusing one, and it highlights the thrills and possibilities of unlikely pairings. For the production, director Stafford Arima has transformed The Flea’s intimate downstairs space into a college lecture hall, and he has most of the audience actually sitting at desks. At the performance I attended (the roles are being shared by four actors), Olivia Jampol and Chris Tabet exuded just the right feisty interplay to bring the play to endearingly to life. Watching these two actors spiral towards each other over the course of the hour was a pure delight.

"Squash"

“Squash”

The second “class act”, entitled Squash, is perhaps the more ambitious, albeit somewhat messier, of the two pieces. It tells the story of a classics professor and his persistent gay student, who believes he’s in love with his teacher. Through the course of the play, they both teach each other things they never thought they’d take to heart in life. Here, Mr. Gurney explores the fluidity of identity, complete with its excitement and associated and unavoidable growing pains (e.g., what happens to those you leave behind vis-à-vis those you meet on your journey?). Again directed by Mr. Arima but in the larger upstairs space, the production boasts fine performances from its trio of actors, especially the dynamic, even magnetic, Rodney Richardson as the restless, inquisitive student.

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TWO CLASS ACTS: AJAX & SQUASH
Off-Broadway, Play
The Flea Theater
Each approximately 1 hour
Through November 20

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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