The New York International Fringe Festival
Richard Gustin Presents the World Premiere

BEING SEEN

The Underground
64 East 4th Street
NY NY

18, 19, 21, and 22 August 2015

Written by Richard Gustin
Directed by Mindy Cooper

Starring William Youmans and Allison Minick

Actors hate auditions. They are demanding and demeaning and difficult. Some people who are not good performers audition well, and others who are extraordinarily talented sometimes do not audition well. BEING SEEN encompasses all of the insecurity and hope of a difficult audition into a hilarious 80 minutes.

William Youmans (Wicked, Titanic) brings smarmy, pseudo-psychological art-speak to the role of The Director. Think James Lipton (but lither and better looking). He stalks the dark behind the audience like panther playing with his prey. As the prey, I mean, The Actor, Allison Minick is also excellent. She looks like a young Uma Thurman as she bounds around with a puppy-ish eagerness to be liked. She has a level of ferociousness as well when she attacks a scene or idea given to her by her svengali-ish, The Director.

Director (show director, not the character The Director) Mindy Cooper keeps the movement fluid with only two bodies, a small space and a chair.

Anyone who has ever auditioned for anything, or taken any kind of acting class will recognize this situation and revel in its insanity.

- Jean Tait -