3rd
Annual New York International Fringe Festival  **Fringe
Excellence Awards given out August 29th**"Cathleen's Carnage" At the Kraine Theater Reviewed by Melissa Anelli for for Theatre Reviews Limited As the title implies, "Cathleen's Carnage" has turned the Kraine into a bloodbath - one of disgruntled audience members clawing their way out the door. It's not that the actors don't try - it's obvious that they are a group of gifted thespians. The problem here is that the show is nothing more than a bunch of disjointed, nonsensical sketches, too steeped in melodrama to bother making a point. If the gibberish doesn't turn you off, the man who plays with himself onstage will. Just when you think you can't take it anymore, someone steps to the front and states "I'll be honest with you." The spine shoots straight and the heart races because, hallelujah, someone is going to try and communicate! The tantalizing promise of comprehensible English turns into a lament over dry skin, and disappointment crashes into the audience like a tidal wave. Those of us who let our optimism get the better of us stayed through the whole ninety minutes to discover our only satisfaction being in knowing the time was wasted. During those torturous ninety minutes, as the noisy silence of restlessness grew, one of the actors raised a question. Talking about people who used to bang nails into their heads out of boredom, he asked, "Any volunteers?" I almost raised my hand. Reviewed on Tuesday, August 24, 1999 "CATHLEEN'S CARNAGE" Written and performed by Jesica Cajas, Jeff Daniel, Benedetta Ferrario, Nicole Higgins, Zuzana Hodkova, Haakon Jespen, and Matthew Reese. Directed by Martin Russell. Costume designer, Sheree Coluccelli; stage manager, Britta Jepsen. Presented by the Fools Company at the Kraine Theatre, 85 East 4th Street between 2nd and 3rd (Bowery) Avenues. In August at the New York Internatonal Fringe Festival on the following dates: Thursday the 26th at 10:15 p.m.; Friday the 27th at 4:00 p.m.; Saturday the 28th at 11:00 p.m. All tickets are $11.00. For information and reservations visit http://www.fringenyc.org |