The New Ohio Theatre
presents
CollaborationTown’s
production of

FAMILY PLAY
(1979 to Present)

Written by GEOFFREY DECAS O’DONNELL, BOO KILLEBREW,
& JORDAN SEAVEY

Directed by LEE SUNDAY EVANS

Featuring
EBONI BOOTH, JORGE CORDOVA, GEOFFREY DECAS O’DONNELL, MARK JUNEK,
BOO KILLEBREW, & THERESE PLAEHN

Scenic Design: GEOFFREY DECAS O’DONNELL
Lighting Design: NICK HOUFEK
Costume Design: BETH GOLDENBERG
Sound Design: BRANDON WOLCOTT
Associate Director: STEPHANIE MILLER
Associate Scenic Design & Technical Director: SANDY YAKLIN
Graphic Design: KYLE O’CONNER
Press Rep: DAVID GIBBS/DARR PUBLICITY

New Ohio Theatre
154 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
(888) 596-1027 or www.NewOhioTheatre.org
April 28 through May 16, 2014

One might call this play a Gordian Knot, without the bad implications. Or if you prefer a song reference, it would be an enactment of “The Circle Game”. Six actors go round and round the raised plank circle of the stage, bouncing on and off in the blink of an eye, living flash-photos of family life past to present. Each actor plays multiple characters, changing roles and relationships briskly, with never a lull in the action. Through snappy, tasty morsels of dialogue, we share sexual experimentation, parental nagging, youthful rebellion, “bad words”, and spanking.

As the years progress, they argue over body piercings, secret smoking (of cigarettes and more), divorce, and death, all done with disarming honesty. The authenticity of the tales, like FAMILY PLAY’s pace, never lags. It is a blender set somewhere between “frappe” and “whip”, swirling together the families, friends, and story lines, yet remaining totally understandable and enthralling. The result is delicious.

Much of the production is comic, resonating with life experiences that many audience members will recognize. The serious notes are palpable, but quick and almost painless, as the action moves on. Like fluttering through an old photo album, FAMILY PLAY brings back the sweet and the bittersweet of living while leaving us with a smile.

-Karen D’Onofrio-