THE HANGOVER REPORT – Erin Markey’s athletic two-hander SINGLET is thematic, absurdist entertainment

Erin Marked and Emily Davis in "Singlet" at The Bushwick Starr.

Erin Marked and Emily Davis in “Singlet” at The Bushwick Starr.

Tonight, I caught Erin Markey’s latest performance piece, her two-hander Singlet at The Bushwick Starr. Over the last half a dozen years or so, I’ve been tickled and beguiled by Ms. Markey’s surreal, offbeat sense of humor (often in the form of inspired unintelligible babble). She’s the kind of performer who dominates the stage with her devouring presence, otherworldly confidence, and deadpan intensity. Tonight, she, uncharacteristically, shared the stage with Emily Davis, a seemingly vulnerable performer who ultimately proved of equal mettle.

Singlet is thematic in nature – power, vulnerability, sexuality, violence, and feminism are all explored through a fluid, collage-like series of tug-of-war sketches. Although the format suffices for the most part, I wish Ms. Markey’s piece would have attempted to invest in just a tad more specificity, so as to feel like something was truly at stake.

Nevertheless, Singlet is wonderfully entertaining, particularly with Ms. Markey and Ms. Davis vigorously playing off of each other. Singlet is cleanly directed by Jordan Fein (with choreography by Chloe Kernaghan) with the precision of a well-drilled cheerleading routine, albeit thought the lens of Beckett. The athletic piece is in constant motion, requiring a lot of stamina from its performers; understandably, both women were clearly exhausted by the end.

RECOMMENDED

 

SINGLET
Off-Broadway, Play
The Bushwick Starr
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Through June 3

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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