every august, new york's fringe festival is invariably filled with hits and misses. this year, with time to see only one show, i lucked out. And She Said, He Said, I Said Yes is incredibly enjoyable and well done. three superb actresses take turns delivering monologues, which are book-ended by overlapping commentary and antidotes. the play is, broadly, about romantic relationships, but there are innumerable layers above and beyond that generalization.
perhaps the key to the piece's success was the creative process undergone by the production team. the writer, Harrison David Rivers, met with the three actresses before he began writing; to a large extent, the monologues being delivered are autobiographical. the actresses, writer, and directors had constant contact throughout the writing and rehearsal stages, making sure to include the crucial elements and discovering the themes overlapping one another's stories. one such theme -- ambition on the part of the performers, and the way it seemed to conflict with concepts of love and happily ever after with the men in their lives, was particularly poignant. there are also repeated references to family, and how the things we grow up seeing and hearing shape our expectations of what love looks like, what happiness means.
the set is bare-bones, lighting cues minimal. the show rests solidly on the language and lessons being shared, and on the three extraordinary and engaging actresses - Jehan O. Young, Melissa Joyner, and Rory Lipede, all of whom are captivating and deeply affecting. telling their own stories, reliving their own heartache, reclaiming the wisdom they've accumulated along the way, they speak of instances so specific yet universal, so inevitable yet unwilling. each monologue catches and carries you along with it, gently yet firmly, as the women themselves have learned how to walk even when the burden is great.
kudos must also be paid to the directors, Eric Louie and Anika Chapin. their embrace of the actresses, the ability to identify what shines in each of them and allowing them the space to glow, is truly satisfying to watch. this is an example of collaborative theater at its highest.
go see it: august 26 @ 7 p.m / august 27 @ 9:30 p.m.
Here Arts Center: Dorothy B. Williams Theater
tickets at www.fringenyc.org
perhaps the key to the piece's success was the creative process undergone by the production team. the writer, Harrison David Rivers, met with the three actresses before he began writing; to a large extent, the monologues being delivered are autobiographical. the actresses, writer, and directors had constant contact throughout the writing and rehearsal stages, making sure to include the crucial elements and discovering the themes overlapping one another's stories. one such theme -- ambition on the part of the performers, and the way it seemed to conflict with concepts of love and happily ever after with the men in their lives, was particularly poignant. there are also repeated references to family, and how the things we grow up seeing and hearing shape our expectations of what love looks like, what happiness means.
the set is bare-bones, lighting cues minimal. the show rests solidly on the language and lessons being shared, and on the three extraordinary and engaging actresses - Jehan O. Young, Melissa Joyner, and Rory Lipede, all of whom are captivating and deeply affecting. telling their own stories, reliving their own heartache, reclaiming the wisdom they've accumulated along the way, they speak of instances so specific yet universal, so inevitable yet unwilling. each monologue catches and carries you along with it, gently yet firmly, as the women themselves have learned how to walk even when the burden is great.
kudos must also be paid to the directors, Eric Louie and Anika Chapin. their embrace of the actresses, the ability to identify what shines in each of them and allowing them the space to glow, is truly satisfying to watch. this is an example of collaborative theater at its highest.
go see it: august 26 @ 7 p.m / august 27 @ 9:30 p.m.
Here Arts Center: Dorothy B. Williams Theater
tickets at www.fringenyc.org
