Review: Womenscene

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08138/882523-42.stm

Stage Review: 'Womenscene' offers unusually diverse local skits
Saturday, May 17, 2008
By Samantha Bennett, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If your theatrical diet consists mainly of Broadway tours and flashy productions in the well-known venues Downtown, you may not be getting enough fiber.

For something locally grown, organic and beneficial to local organizations -- as well as being entertaining food for thought -- you could head out to the Union Project tonight for "Womenscene," "an evening of eclectic theatre written for women, about women and to benefit women."

There's a little something for everyone in the 90 minutes of short pieces (mostly monologues) written by local playwrights and performed by local actors. The evening begins with a birth, as a fond dad played by John Stetor recalls the years spent raising "Punkin' " (written by F. J. Hartland), and before the final love letter to a can-do single mom written by Sandy Boggs and performed by Vince Ventura, we've seen persecution, comedy, Internet porn, sexuality, culture, loss, political polemics, stalking and celebrity.

Standouts include Chris Gavaler's "Who's on First," a rapid-fire modern update on the old Abbott and Costello chestnut performed by Rachel Noderer and Greg Caridi, and Paula Martinac's "The Tenants," with the splendid Barbara Russell as a quintessentially Pittsburgh landlady.

Kim Zelonis' "Retro Hottie" explores a predicament that could happen to any woman who was young and needed the money, while her "Covered" is the playful confession of a man who can understand, if not entirely approve of, the utility of the burqa. A third Zelonis piece, "Unbred Mother," was dropped from the lineup Thursday night when I was there, but it should be back tonight.

"She Times Three" by Carol Mullen has a setup and rhythm that recalls "The Vagina Monologues," while Marilyn Bates' "Untitled No. 2," affectingly read by Etta Cox, is also reminiscent of some of the darker, hush-inducing material in Ensler's landmark work.

Founder and performer Donna Rae and director Lora Oxenreiter have stitched together a quirky, diverse, absorbing evening and informed it with infectious energy. All proceeds go to the Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania, Women and Film in Media, Pittsburgh, and the Union Project, a community and job-training center.

The acoustics of the former church venue aren't ideal; there's a lot of echo, partly controlled by microphones, and the occasional idling bus or passing motorcycle intrudes. On the other hand, there are hors d'oeuvres at every performance, and a coffee bar that helps create an informal, neighborhood coffeehouse ambience.

You can fill your plate with something you won't get just anywhere.

Samantha Bennett can be reached at sbennett@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3572.
First published on May 17, 2008 at 12:00 am