By The Sea, By The Sea, By The Beautiful Sea

A common theme and a single set make for an interesting evening at Adams Avenue of the Arts. By The See By The Sea By The Beautiful Sea, include Dawn by Joe Pintauro, Day by Lanford Wilson, and Dusk by Terrence McNally. The setting is a sandy beach with a backdrop of ocean and sky. Dawn features Kathy Song as Pat the wife of Quentin, played by Robert Jenkins and friend of Quentin's sister, Veronica (Hilary White).

They meet at the beach to scatter Quentin and Veronica's mother's ashes into the sea. Dawn is the weakest of the three one acts, but with the most complex plot. Veronica was her mother's care-giver while both Pat and Quentin virtually ignored her. This is Veronica's story, and White runs the gambit of her emotions quite convincingly. Song seems uncomfortable in her role, only occasionally giving Pat the power she obviously has. Jenkins' interpretation is that of a man harboring some guilt and completely unable to grasp the importance of the event to his sister. The result is a troubling story, but more troubling is the unevenness of the presentation.

Day starts as a male fantasy with gardener Ace, Marat Oyvetsky, having a lunch break when the lovely Macy, Tanya Johnson, enters. She comes on to him big time. Oyvetsky delightfully portrays, mostly in body language, his ecstasy and disbelief that Macy, totally way above his labor's league, would look at him twice. Johnson pulls every womanly wile to entice him in to Macy's little web. Again, body language speaks volumes more than Lanford Wilson's excellent script. Enter Bill, Piper Major, a true opposite of Macy. Her drugs haven't kicked in yet, and she is all over the emotional scale. Major has a difficult role as Bill goes way over-the-top in a moment and then mellows out seconds later. These actors look like they are living their roles as they stage them.

Dusk opens with Dana, Hillary White again, running across the beach. Crossing, but not meeting, is surfer-handsome Willy (David M. Roberts). Marsha, Shannon Donohoe, who allegedly has lost her car keys in the sand, settles in. Willy dumps his pants and shirt on his first pass. Marsha is fully covered up and Dana is dressed in running shorts and sports bra. As in Day, body type and dress tell the story. Roberts is perfect as the self-assured, egotistical Willy who knows that the beach is his playground and beach gals are his toys. Hillary White's long blond hair accents Dana; she's not a dumb blond, she's a highly competitive one. Donohue's Marsha appears to be overly quiet, almost introverted, until competition for Willy begins. McNally's playing with words give these three talented actors a chance to display the joys of double takes, miscommunication, and the inevitable misunderstandings.

This wedding of one-acts is a near-perfect marriage. Director Korbett has created something much greater than the individual pieces, thanks to a cast that brings excellence to this small theater in Normal Heights.