THE HANGOVER REPORT – Nancy Anderson stuns in “The Pen”, an entry in this year’s edition of INNER VOICES

Nancy Anderson in "The Pen", an entry in "Inner Voices" at TBG Theatre

Nancy Anderson in “The Pen”, an entry in “Inner Voices” at TBG Theatre

As with any collection of new works, this year’s edition of Inner Voices (lovingly described in the program as “intimate and dramatic monologues of friendship, fear, and fantasy”) is almost unavoidably uneven. That being said, musical theater veteran Nancy Anderson simply cannot be missed in it.

Ms. Anderson appears in the second of three pieces entitled “The Pen”, by Dan Collins (words) and Julianne Wick Davis (music). These creators were responsible for last season’s relatively high profile trans-musical Southern Comfort at the Public Theater. If “The Pen” is less ambitious than that musical, I would argue that this musically and lyrically sophisticated one act musical is the more successful, especially in the sensational hands of Ms. Anderson and director Margot Bordelon. Ms. Anderson portrays a woman struggling with mental illness one morning as she readies herself to leave for work. On her way out the door, she encounters a chewed-on pen that unleashes a whole range of intense fears. Ms. Anderson in the past has created a niche for herself by (wonderfully) playing ditzy ingénues. Here, she’s given the chance to flex the full spectrum of her dramatic and musical talents. And boy, does she – she’s loveable, heartbreaking, frustrating, quirky, and more. In my mind, this will stand as one of the performances of the season.

The other two pieces are serviceable and entertaining enough. I probably prefer Saheem Ali (words) and Michael Thurber’s (music and words) “The Booty Call” over Ellen Fitzugh (words) and Tend Shen’s (lyrics) “Just One ‘Q’”. The latter strikes me as bland and harmless, although it is charismatically performed by T. Oliver Reid. “The Booty Call”, joyously and engagingly performed by Mr. Thurber, is aurally interesting but has nowhere near the depth of characterization as the aforementioned “The Pen”.

RECOMMENDED

 

INNER VOICES
Off-Broadway, Musical
Premieres at TBG Theatre
2 hours, 10 minutes (with one intermission)
Through October 29

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

Leave a Reply