Native Gardens at the Shakes.

Posted on by Thor

Native Gardens written by Karen Zacarias is being performed at the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803) .  A young couple, Tania (Alea Figueroa) and Pablo (Fredy Ruiz) move into a quiet Washington D.C. suburban home.  The place is a bit run down, but Tania has big dreams for the back yard, with it’s big old oak tree, planning to turn it into a Native Garden with all native plants.  Pablo is working at a law firm putting in long hours.  Their neighbors, Virginia (Kate Ingram) and Frank Butley (Michael Edwards) are an older couple on the verge of retirement.  Frank shares Tania’s love of gardening.  Each year he plants a gorgeous perennial flower bed with hopes of winning the neighborhood’s best garden award.  

An old chain link fence separated the back yards of the two properties.  The butlers welcomed the young couple bringing them wine and chocolates.  Tania is allergic to chocolates but liked the gesture.  The four of them chatted amicably and agreed that a nice wooden fence would be nice to replace the old chain link fence now overgrown with ivy.  Pablo in a move to impress his boss, decided to host an office BBQ in his backyard.  With the yard a mess, the couple had to rush to get ready for the party.  As the couple made plans to install the fence, they discovered that their property actually extended two feet beyond the fence, essentially the full width of their neighbors flower bed. 

When they informed their neighbors that they planned to place the fence right on their property line tempers began to flair.   Being a lawyer, Pablo stated the case with blunt force and with no notion of compromise.  Frank is crushed since the flower bed was his labor of love.  First the men bickered and then the woman bickered and postured.  What had been a friendly welcome shifted into a brawl.  To top it all off the older couple were Republicans and they suspected their neighbors were Democrats.  The escalating tension was treated with hilarious results.  Both side felt they were the victims and polite manners melted away into crude name calling.  

Native Gardens is a fun and highly entertaining show.  The show runs through February 4th.  Start your year off with a good laugh.  Go and see native Gardens. 

The Way of the Cards

Posted on by Thor

“The Way of the Cards” is a new play written and directed by Aradhana Tiwari. It will have its World Premiere tonight at 8:30PM in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Mandell Theatre (812 E. Rollins St, Orlando). I went to a tech rehearsal a few days before the opening. Aradhana welcomed me warmly and introduced me to Tom Mangieri, the set designer. This was the first time the cast saw the set, so stage manager, Brenna Nicely, gave them a walk through. Apparently the steps could be hazardous. The set wasn’t complete yet, but the sink had running water. Everything was a bit off kilter, giving the domestic scene an unsettled feeling

Aradhana said to the cast, “Don’t let
the largeness of the space take away from your power.” She pushed the
actors repeatedly to project to the back row. As the scenes were
rehearsed, she moved to different seats in the theater, getting a feel
for the scenes from all angles.  She handled the music cues from her iPhone.

The play is about the dysfunctional Arlington family. Tip, played by Anthony Pyatt, narrates the plays opening, structuring his narrative around a single
hand of Texas Hold ‘em. He teaches cards in order to
relay the most tragic hand of his life. He spends much of the play munching cereal trying to remain disconnected from the drama swirling around him. His mom, Sass, played by Kate Ingram,  may have been the “First Lady Of The
Vegas Strip” at one point in her poker career, but now she is simply a
tired hack who plays on a riverboat. Tips sister Tally, played by Olivia Richardson, tried to bring some order to the home but she never could fulfill her absent mothers expectations. The youngest member of the family, Lucky, played by Gabe Patrick, dreamed of someday being a “Mechanic” which is someone who knows how to cheat at cards.

Sass needed to convince Lucky that cheating at cards was disrespectful to the game. “In life there are players and there are dealers, you don’t want to look back and wish you had played a hand. The way of the cards is in the people that hold them. There is always some sucker hoping there is a special card that will save the day.” “Don’t worry mom, I’ll earn my wins.” Lucky replied.

This is a powerful heartfelt drama born right here in Orlando. Get out and experience this show for yourself. Be a player, not a dealer. We all have to work with the hand we have been dealt.

When:

April 27th through May 6th
Fri 4/27- 8:30PM
Sat 4/28- 8:30PM
Sun 4/29- 2:30PM
Mon 4/30- 8:30PM Industry Night
Thu 5/3- 8:30PM
Fri 5/4- 8:30PM
Sat 5/5- 2:30PM(Matinee, no night show)
Sun 5/6- 2:30PM

Cost:
General Admission: $15

Industry Night: $10 (Guaranteed seating with previous reservation, we
are also offering a walk-up admission of pay what you can, it’s not
guaranteed seating, but you can pay whatever you want!)

Time:
Fri/Sat/Mon- 8:30PM
Sun/Sat(5/5)- 2:30PM

For tickets and more info: Visit PlayTheMoment.Com.
(Tickets are now on sale )