Limited Perspective

I laughed a lot at Washer/Dryer, a rom-com by produced by Pratidhwani and SIS Productions  about an Indo-American woman, Sonya and a first-generation (I think) Chinese-American man, Michael. After the initial exposition scene with the couple is out of the way, it really gets rolling when Michael’s mom, Doctor Lee shows up. By the time the nosy neighbor barges in and the gay best friend is hiding behind the couch sneezing and people are coming in and out of doors and windows and curtains, it' s a full-on farce. It’s not just laughs though. Fairly early in the show, Sonya receives a huge suitcase from grandma in the old country full of items to be used for a proper Indian wedding. A little bit later, Doctor Lee begins preparing Michael’s favorite Chinese dish. These props remain for the rest of the show, ever-present, reminding everybody of the family stakes. It’s a nice touch in a play that’s really nicely done. Photo by me of the set, pre-show. 

The term ‘double feature’ in the title of this show refers to the two main performers, L. Nicol Cabe and Aaron J. Shay, who shared one half of the show each -- and shared the ability to charm and engage me with their storytelling.  Twice, Cabe invites someone from the audience to play her part – reading off of 5X7 index cards -- in a conversation with an internet chat bot.   If theater is about empathy and seeing the world from someone else’s perspective, then this is successful theater because it literally happens in those moments.   Cabe’s half of the show contains some deep insights about artificial intelligence.   Sharing them here almost seems like it should require a spoiler alert but at one point she uses an extended Pygmalion analogy that’s amazing for the way it weaves art and science and myth into one inseparable ball. In other parts there is real menace as in the monologue where she portrays a sex robot telling her story of how she is abused over and over aga

Waiting for the Paint to Dry, by Kairos Theatre , with one final show remaining this evening, is real.  For the past five years, since the death of their mother, Colby (Deya Ozburn) has been left alone to care for her special-needs half-sister, Edith (Cacey Williams.)  Both fathers are long gone. A care-giver, Vanessa (Hannah Coleman) working for the state welfare agency visits from time to time to watch over them. Colby has quit her job and put her life plans on hold to work from home repairing small electronics.  Both sisters struggle to cope. Edith paints pictures directly on the wall in the living room.  Colby drinks.  She also tries to resume some kind of normal life by scheduling a few coffee dates with Abby (Amy Van Mechelen.)  But things seem on the verge of falling apart.  The way it all plays out is heart-wrenching, difficult.  This is not entertainment to be used as an escape.  This is art to share an experience that is deep, and real.