Ten Minute Madness is an extension of the very popular short-play festival held at North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe. The major difference is that the proprietors, under GB Productions, selected and directed all of the plays. The result is a higher degree of professionalism, very good casting, and a more accomplished cast.
The downside, of course, is that the opportunity for brand-new, untested talent was not showcased. The upside, of course, is higher production quality. More later. The plays vary from a very profane A Pirate's Life for Me by Noonan, ND playwright Alex Dhuyvetter, to touching Blue Bikini by David Lewison from Los Angeles. In the former, Rob Gworek and Kathy Rex play computer drones for a tyrannical boss played by Chuck Hart. Gworek and Rex are a perfect balance of craziness and work ethic and logic. He is off conquering the world of pirates while she chides him to get back to work. A very good team.
Blue Bikini, which we actually never see, is a pure delight as Gworek and Marely Ramirez present us with two very shy people that don't really meet one summer at the beach. Shyness takes its toll on possible love. The story begs the shy ones to attempt a first comment, a first serious eye contact.
Sue Brody of Brookline, MA wrote One Last Fight starring Brian Burke and Hal Conley as a father and son. The theme is the antagonism that has built up over the years. Interesting. Burke was convincing, Conley tended towards being a bit over the top, expressing his character's anger in volume.
Another strange piece is San Francisco playwright Lauren D. Yee's Zachary Zwillinger Eats People. Zach (John Fojtik) seduces lovely ladies, such as the Sugar Plum Fairy (Kathy Rex), only to feast upon them after the dance. Networky reporter Lauren (Ramirez) gives us a running commentary that plays well against the total insanity of Fojtik's munching seducer.
Flashes is another touching story from the pen of Tom Tunnington of Bricktown, NJ. We meet Edna (Lynda Bell), aging, a bit senile, in a nursing home. We also meet her in her youth (Marely Ramirez), along with her young husband (Gworek) during WWII and her mom (Summer Golden).
Chuck Hart, as Scott, handles her wheelchair, and Mary (Rex), who is interviewing her, bridges the present with the past. Interesting look at the two ages.
The Polite Bandit by Willie Marcus from Baltimore, MD is interesting as much for the dialogue as the silent acting. It takes place in a market checkout line. The whole cast, except for Hart as the Store Manager, are in line. One totally obnoxious patron (Golden) is in an almost constant rant of impatience. Rex, the bandit, on the other hand waits patiently in line while credit cards don't work or signatures are bad or somebody can't count change or they can't find the exact change or God knows what else. All this is done in mime to a nonexistent cashier. Excellent work by all.
My favorite is the nicely satirical A Matter of National Interest, inked by San Franciscan Cary Pepper. This is a news junkie's dream as reporters from various stations rehash the same story over a period of few days. Stations included KBAR, WACK, KOOK, KORN, and KXOB, which represent the spectrum from straight news presentation to FOX Noise. Excellent writing and fine interpretation from the serious (Hart) to the stereotypical sexy reporter (Ramirez).
I've watched some of these performers for a number of years. I've seen them grow into accomplished, polished actors. Ramirez is ready for prime time. I think that Rex has always been ready for top billing; in fact, she gets in some of the other shows presented by GB Productions. Bell brings sincerity to each of her roles. I've worked with Burke, and he really gets into his roles. I've watched Fojtik from day one, when the stage was a bit scary. Now he commands it. I first saw Hart at Fault Line. The progress is great. Conley is fun to watch, even in a rant. Gworek is convincing whether he is a nut, a soldier or a shy guy. Golden gives us one of her strongest performances. This is one of the most solid presentations yet at North Park Vaudeville, and I truly enjoyed some fine performances—though I did miss the tyro directors and actors that are generally seen at festival time.
