Mobius

By Michele Tram

The play Mobius takes place the week of spring break in 1984. It tells the story of 15-year-old Montgomery, his less than perfect family, and his struggle to gather up the courage to tell his controlling mom and absentee dad that he is gay. Mobius is a dramedy (drama-comedy) that will leave you with a truly lasting impression.

What is a mobius? A mobius is a surface with only one side and one boundary component. Described by Mackenzie, the mobius strip is similar to his brother’s mind with all the twists and turns of its appearance.

RJ Barnett gives a brilliant performance as Montgomery; making me root for him to achieve the happiness and independence that he is searching for. Montgomery’s intellect separates him from almost everyone, making him an outcast. His brother is his only source of comfort, but as the play unravels further, it is important to remember everything is not what it appears to be.

Every second left me wanting more and anticipating what would happen next. When the play ended and the lights came on, the cast filed out one by one to the center of the stage in a straight line to take a bow. I was silent. I couldn’t believe that it was already over.

Although Mobius contains nudity, it is the raw emotions of the characters that is sure to resonate in your mind long after it is over.

*Plog Pick

Schedule and ticket information here.

Monetizing Emma

By Michele Tram

Thump. Thump. Thump. Loud music fills the theater. Moments later, the lights are slowly dimmed and faintly in the background you can hear several voices echo throughout the theater. Monetizing Emma has begun.

Monetizing Emma is a play that takes place three years from now. It tells the story of an independent, witty, sarcastic 15 year old teenager named Emma. Emma is at that age when indecisiveness and uncertainty begins to settle in, making her question every decision that she makes. Emma, like a majority of teenagers, is worried about the costly tuition of Ivy League colleges. Her concerns are put to rest when she is recruited by Genius Trust (GT) as a result of her ability to be a “good asset.” However, things are never quite what they appear to be.

Monetizing Emma is a play teenagers can relate to because at one point or another in our lives we seek independence to make our own decisions and choices. Nitya Vidyasagar, who plays Emma, brilliantly captures the conflicting emotions that teenagers feel.

I have a confession. Before seeing this play, I researched Monetizing Emma and stumbled upon the many awards this play has received. This meant that I already had high hopes for the play before it began. Often times, with high hopes, comes great disappointment. Monetizing Emma lives up to its praises and every second of the play kept me engaged with its witty humor and sharp one-liners. This modern comedic play of Monetizing Emma is definitely not to be missed!

*Plog Pick

Schedule and ticket information here.

Lemonade: A Play Of World Domination

By Michele Tram

Based off the name alone – Lemonade: A Play Of World Domination – I didn’t know what to expect. How could lemonade possibly be tied in with ruling the world? In Lemonade, playwright Jais Brohinsky has created a world in the future where corporate tycoons get rich off of selling sunlight and scientists are advanced enough to be able to clone humans.

Lemonade is a play performed by eight talented cast members who individually embodied their characters very well. There is no denying that there was great chemistry between two of the main characters, Henry and Henrietta, two of the richest corporate tycoons who went from plotting mischievous plans against each other to uniting with a plan to take down the richest tycoon by assassination.

My favorite aspect of Lemonade was the clever use of live film projection and the foley artist. The live foley artist played a keyboard to match the cast’s every movement was genius.

A play inspired about the economic times of our world today, Lemonade was overall decent. There were several moments when I questioned what the main idea of the play was and it was only until the very end that the play really started to come together. Although we can certainly relate to the economic woes that Lemonade revolved around (such as $30 for a cup of lemonade), I feel like the playwright’s vision got lost in the excessive plot and slow pacing of the play. As the light gradually dimmed and the play came to an end, only some audience members grasped the concept, but others simply left the theatre still confused and befuddled.

Schedule and ticket information here.