Larry Litt
Angry Young Women In
Low-Rise Jeans Written and directed by Matt Morillo These days I rarely get to laugh out loud sitting in a theater. Political, social and fairness issues are roaring through the arts as they are everywhere smart people meet. Issues usually aren’t fun or laughable. Perhaps ironic. Then we will get to knowingly snicker or ‘gotcha’ at the opportunists who created our numerous and often enormous problems. Now, just when we need some high spirited relief from the oppression of Wall Street, Home Foreclosures and Injustice there appears the reprise of Matt Morillo’s five part exegesis on modern femininity, “Angry Young Women In Low Rise Jeans With High Class Issues.” I laughed out loud not just once, but many times along with the rest of the hard to please downtown audience. Matt writes for women better than any young playwright I’ve heard in years. He knows their secret thoughts and empowers their personal language. Did a man really write these lines for these actresses? He must be a very good listener at parties? Does he have a plethora of female friends to query about their deepest, darkest shames and desires? If so, they open their hearts to him in a way that he consumes then converts into high sex comedy. In theater words alone cannot carry a show. Actresses are needed to bring life and depth to the stage. Morillo has found his star portrayals in Jessica Durdock Moreno. She’s his Martha Raye, Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball rolled into one dynamo with hip flip outs and apologetic coyness. Jessica spins 180 degrees on a dime, flying into reversals that are well, hysterical. In Morillo’s parables men carry on bravely under threat of psychic demolition by the women. Actors Jon Sprik, Zachary J. Harrison, Peter Buck Dettmann and Chris LaCour are a well matched, multi part team of male foils. They let the ladies know in their own subtle ways they’ll put up with just about anything anything for the reward of great sex. They added to the emotional grinding with a lot of bumping. Jess Loudon’s thong monologue with technique demonstration is a roaring killer set of feminist stand up comedy. She typifies the female comedy experience when given brilliant topical writing. Character actresses Christine Cartell, Jenni Halina and Kelly Lockwood all have rough days and nights out in a brutal world of dating competition. Their portrayals are poignant, they don’t need to go for belly laughs. They’re carefully placed valleys in this mountain range of contemporary hilarity. I hope Matt Morillo continues writing comedy. I like to laugh no matter what’s happening in this old world of ours. |
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