Metropolitan Playhouse
Virtual Playhouse
Presents
A Screened Reading
of
Two One-Act Plays
FOURTEEN
Written by ALICE
GERSTENBERG
Featuring
BRENDA CRAWLEY, BECCA BALLENGER, & ANDREW FIRDA
Directed by LAURA LIVINGSTON
Virtual Backgrounds & Props: VINCENT GUNN
CRISS CROSS
Written by
RACHEL CROTHERS
Featuring
ERICA KNIGHT, ERIN LEIGH SCHMOYER, & TREVOR
ST. JOHN GILBERT
Director & Virtual Backgrounds: ALEX ROE
www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/virtualplayhouse
May 2,
2020 at 8 p.m.
The comedy of manners FOURTEEN takes
us back to the 1920s, when people of status had to follow the proper rules of
etiquette. No exceptions. Grande Dame Mrs. Pringle is hosting a dinner party for
14 guests. At least that was the plan, until the phone calls started. One guest
canceled due to “a sick friend.” That makes it a party of 13! Totally
unacceptable. Shocking, actually! So starts the chaotic series of phone calls to
invite more people, her daughter’s reluctance to attend at all, and a blizzard
that makes things worse. The understated butler carries on stoically as he is
ordered to remove place-settings, then add place-settings, then remove
place-settings, ad nauseum.
The master plan is to get the daughter
married off to a prosperous gentleman who is attending. Or not. Perhaps Mrs.
Pringle will succeed in the end. If she doesn’t collapse from an attack of The
Vapors first.
CRISS CROSS, from 1904, also features a
woman facing the social challenge of guiding a loved one into a “sensible”
marriage (if there exists such thing). The pretty Cecil worries that she is
losing the interest of her beau, Jack. Enter Cousin Ann, older, perhaps wiser,
and obviously more coolly practical. The stronger of the two females, Ann says
that Jack is playing a 1900’s version of head games with Cecil. In a private
conversation, Ann asks Jack to make Cecil happy. Jack is surprised that Ann has
this soft side, as everyone is just a little afraid of her. Ann resumes her
usual demeanor and leaves the lovers to find their way.
These plays were
performed using ZOOM and YouTube. They have the common thread of women’s roles
in society. Each actor performed in a separate video frame, from their homes.
None of them had ever met in person. They did not see their background sets
until the day of performance. This made for a very interesting and entertaining
evening. Kudos to all involved. Well done and totally enjoyable.
--Karen D’Onofrio--