LUSTING AFTER PIPINO'S WIFE
Written by Amy Nicholson, April 17, 2003
Rita and Patsy are a mismatched East Coast couple who can't stumble over their own bad decisions (marriage? children?) without input from their best friends ? a pair of selfish, sermonizing Iagos gunning for a premature end to the inevitable breakup. Patsy (Matthew Jordan) locks antlers with his philosophizing pal Vinnie (Chris Wynne), while Rita (Karen Zumsteg) ? a wide-eyed doe with a bull's-eye tacked over her common sense ? spills her guts to her increasingly ferocious girlfriend Lorraine (Diana Larios), who offers up unsolicited gems of advice like "You are not a content or happy individual. Please remember that." Teeth are bared and tempers raised as the customary, full-on battle of the sexes ensues. Though Sam Henry Kass' play leans heavily toward the glib, Katherine Huston's solid direction enables an enthusiastic cast to find the complex human truths peppered through the banter. Larios is a wickedly caustic delight, as her bitchy city girl descends into a peculiar Ted Nugent?inspired dementia. It's brisk good times for those willing to endure the '80s pop music between scene changes.
MagnaCarta Theater Company at the East Theater, the Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru May 17. (323) 860-9907.
LUSTING AFTER PIPINO'S WIFE by Sam Henry
Kass
Presented by the MagnaCarta Theatre Company and directed by Katherine Huston
Reviewed by Patricia Lewis, The Money Show on KLASFM.com (89.7)
If one wonders how to explain the difference between man and woman, man to
man or woman to woman, this delightful, absorbing, witty play will give you
the many sides of the emotions between the combinations of man and woman.
This play shows how the daring acting of Chris Wynne as Vinnie draws you
into the web of human manipulation. While the other side of the mirror,
portrayed by Matthew Jordan (Patsy) of following along in such a mild manner
in this creation of lustful male guidance toward women and the results.
Vinnie's delivery of his monologues are fast paced and warped giving the
play its outstanding flavor of wit, wisdom and wildness. The interplay
between Vinnie and Patsy is very strong and these men, clearly talented
actors, hold the foundation of the play with their powerful performances.
Matthew Jordan portrays the mild mannered Patsy with compassion and
understanding.
The other side of any relationship was enhanced and embellished by Diana
Larios’ (Lorraine) unstoppable emotional development from "I don't care" to
insanity, which gave her performance throughout greater depth and insight
into our relationships with ourselves first, THEN with others. Diana's
responses to life and her friend, Rita (Karen Zumsteg), having a real
relationship with a MAN no less, shows what lengths we will go to have it
"our way”. Karen portrays the sweet innocent young lady with such grace and
ease and the changes in personality and depth of feelings is smooth, subtle
and very strong as her relationship with Patsy reaches startling changes and
maturity of a relationship. Watch out for Pipino!
This play is fast moving, hundreds (it seems) of set changes and well
orchestrated musical background connecting each dynamic scene which Director
Katherine Huston seamlessly wove together to tell the story of man and woman
doing life on life's terms.
The play's throw away lines, the power of human emotions, the changes over
time and the explosive ending are so well carried off by these four talented
actors and actresses, I would go back again to see more of the depths of
humor and emotions that are so artfully portrayed. I never felt I was in a
play but rather that I was observing life played out in front of me.
This is a wonderful play to bring friends and family as it really has
greater depth in the humor and emotion than you might have imagined possible
in this intimate theatre format. Congratulations MagnaCarta Theatre Company
in choosing a great play to show off these talented young people. For
tickets, please contact Janet Shaw at 323-860-9907 or on line at
www.magnacartatheatre.org