Daniel Petzold performs in Beckett’s “Play,” which is part of Program B of TDPS’ “Silences and Salutations: Seven One Act Plays“

“Salutations,” by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Charlotte McIvor
When I sat down to the opening performance of TDPS’ festival of one-act plays, all I knew was that I was sitting down to a series of plays written by the likes of Samuel Beckett, Gertrude Stein and Eugene Ionesco, which I assumed meant that I’d be sitting down to a heaping helping of absurdism. And when the three on-stage actors (there were also a few “hecklers” embedded in the audience) started miming various unrelated activities while spewing a lengthy list of obscure adverbs in response to the question, “And you?” I figured I was right.

“Salutations” is the only play included in all three programs, and thematically, it makes sense as a precursor to other plays in the festival. It’s a pretty straightforward challenge to the function of language in everyday life and involves a few self-referential breaks in the fourth wall. While the actors did a fine job of throwing themselves physically into their performances, the play itself quickly became grating, even if its difficulty is part of its “point.”

For all its importance in setting the stage for what was to follow, the piece still reminded me of a better-acted version of my high school’s Comedy Sportz troupe playing some kind of charades game in which they could only speak in non sequiturs. The fact that the play calls itself out when a “heckler” yells out, “It’s just a chance for the actors to show off!” doesn’t change this. When it comes down to it, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready for “Salutations” to be over long before the actors danced dramatically off stage for the last time.

“Devotees in the Garden of Love,” by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Godfrey Plata

(Full disclosure: Kelly Strickland is an employee of The Daily Californian.)

Fortunately, “Salutations” segued smoothly into “Devotees in the Garden of Love,” whose absurdity actually enhances its power, rather than makes it confusing just for confusion’s sake. The piece centers on the interaction between a giddy, young bride-to-be, George (Jessica Charles) and her old-fashioned, wheelchair-bound mother, Mama Lily (Kelly Strickland) as they observe a “battlefield” where suitors are duking it out to win George’s hand. George’s finishing school mistress Madame Odelia Pandahr (Dekyi Ronge) narrates the violent struggle from below, but her overly bright smile and grandiose reportage only thinly hide her manipulative ulterior motives.

The three actresses are engaging and create characters that are strangely relatable, despite that, often, their dialogue isn’t totally comprehensible. They draw out the pieces of a fragmented reality slowly, building tension until the play’s final moments, which provide some clarity while still leaving ample room for interpretation. I went into intermission disconcerted, but I was definitely thinking.

“What Happened,” by Gertrude Stein, directed by Scott Wallin

Anyone who’s at all familiar with Gertrude Stein’s poetry might wonder what a play written by her would be like. Would it be as off-putting and conceptually inscrutable as I’d always dreamt it would be? “What Happened” answered that question, and as it turned out the answer was, for the most part, yes. The piece is comprised of almost entirely nonsensical but sonically playful dialogue, inexplicable movement on (and off) the stage and strange multimedia interludes.

The actors, however, managed to imbue this total absence of surface-level coherence with a degree of humor, and, like in “Salutations” their physicality kept things interesting. But unlike the exaggerated, frenzied motion of “Salutations,” the staging of “What Happened” was surprisingly subtle. The cast delivered lines as if they were the most natural things for them to say and–whether they were interacting with one another or purposefully ignoring the others’ presence in favor of their own monologues–their ability to create a fluid spectacle out of apparent chaos was impressive.

Program A will be performed Fri. Nov. 13 (10pm), Sat. Nov. 14 (3pm), Thurs. Nov. 19 (7pm), Fri. Nov. 20 (10pm), and Sat. Nov. 21 (7pm). (Source: TDPS site)

Image Source: Shirin Ghaffary, Daily Californian