Pick Of The Vine
In 2003, playwright Mark Piatelli (then Little Fish Theatre's
artistic director) had a brainstorm. Why not jump-start the year
with a compilation of original short plays that highlight the quality
of talent in the Los Angeles area.
The event proved so successful that each year it has grown bigger
and exponentially better. Currently called "Pick of the Vine," the
last call for scripts attracted 900 (can you believe it?) submissions
from all over the country. Reading each one was an inordinate task;
but read them, Little Fish did.
Over a concentrated six-month period, current artistic director
Melanie Jones, joined by devoted members of the company, slowly
whittled the number down to nine of the best entries. Then six
directors, nine actors, and a dedicated production crew mounted
Little Fish Theatre's "Pick of the Vine: Season 8."
As might be expected, most of the ten-minute selections are
fast-paced comedies--full of wit and barbed repartee that address
contemporary culture. Two of them are poignant slices of life about
the pain of growing old; and the grand finale is the company's first
attempt to do a musical.
Each "pick" is well directed, well performed, and well received.
And, since aesthetic taste is so subjective, everyone will have
favorites. You simply have to see the entire lot and decide for
yourself. Yes, Little Fish Theatre is in San Pedro, but so what?
That's no farther from LA than Noho, Orange County, or Pasadena.
"I Understand Your Frustration" will have you roaring with
laughter and self-recognition. Written by Steven Korbar and directed
by Rodney Rincon, it features Andrew McReynolds as a soft-spoken
computer expert in India, and Bill Wolski as a guy who goes ballistic
when his computer crashes. Sound familiar?
By contrast, "Pelicans" (written by Ellen Prescott, directed by
Melanie Jones), paints a poignant portrait of an aging mother
(suffering from dementia), and her loving daughter (exhausted from
being her sole caregiver). Yvonne Robinson and Rachel Levy turn in
outstanding portrayals, playing off of each other with nuanced pain,
frustration, and love that is so palpable you can feel it.
Proving what skilled actors they are, the two appear in other
skits where they play completely different parts. In "The Lilac
Ticket" (written by C.J. Ehrich, directed by Margaret Schugt),
Robinson is a nervous, insecure, Jewish wife. In "Outing the Badger"
(written by Tommy Trull," again directed by Schugt), Levy is an
outrageous, larger-than-life, comic-book character.
For sheer creative imagination, look no farther than "Finger
Food" (written by Dean Lundquist, directed by Madeleine Drake). A
delightful, stylized fantasy, it features Katie Quinones as a
polished spoon and Mitch Baker as a silver fork. There they are,
languishing in a basket--waiting for someone to need them in today's
laid-back culture, where everything is so informal it can be eaten
without silverware.
How's that for starters? If you're curious about the other juicy
morsels, log on to www.littlefishtheatre.org or call (310) 512-6030.
"Pick of the Vine: Season 8" plays Friday- Saturday at 8:00; Sun.,Jan
31 at 7:00; and Thursday, Feb. 11 at 8:00, through Feb. 13.