Mom Theatre Blogger: Laugh It Up, Stare It Down: Show Review by Robin Gorman Newman
Photo by Richard Termine
Laugh It Up, Stare It Down, a new play written by Alan Hruska and directed by Chris Eigeman, is premiering at The Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street).
The cast features Jayce Bartok (Made In Poland, The My House Play), Katya Campbell (Broadway: Disgraced, The Big Knife), Maury Ginsberg (Mother Courage and The Cherry Orchard with Olympia Dukakis) and Amy Hargreaves (Year of the Sky, Homeland).
Rehearsals begin Tuesday, July 28th.
Laugh It Up, Stare It Down, with a nod to Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, tells the story of Cleo (Campbell), a single anthropologist who, on her way to a date, meets Joe (Bartok) who is living an understated life and is content with it. Once they hook up, marry and have a child, he finds impressive success in the financial arena. Their lives take various twists ‘n turns, including their baby being lost at the hospital, a gun-wielding intruder entering their home, dining at a restaurant with only one food choice, Cleo contemplating having a fling, a neighbor battling cancer….etc. Many of the happenings over the course of 20 years relate to challenges/catastrophe, unpredictability and questions of life and death. And, as per the title of the show, it comes down to how one chooses to react to what is thrown their way.
Laugh It Up, Stare It Down is written in an absurdist style, and thanks to the appealing cast, who handle the banter well, and deft direction, the 90 minutes (no intermission) moves quickly, leaving much to ponder and debate. The very talented Ginsberg and Hargreaves who play multiple roles inhabit each skillfully.
Laugh It Up, Stare It Down features scenic design by Kevin Judge (Irena’s Vow, The Civil War), costume design by Jennifer Caprio (Spelling Bee, Joseph…Dreamcoat), lighting design by Matthew J. Fick (Will Rogers Follies, Spamalot), and original music and sound design by Peter Salett (Heart of Mine and Forgetting Sarah Marshall soundtracks).
Ultimately, the couple, and others, are left clinging to a buoy in a storm-ravaged Rhode Island. Is this beginning of their demise? We don’t know, as the play comes to a halt here. The question is do we care about their fate? That is questionable.
Visit www.LaughItUpPlay.com.
Tags: cherry lane theatre, mom theatre blogger, off broadway show
