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--