Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
In this seductive, thought-provoking play, the 4th wall immediately broken, at the very start, where Brooklyn (Amye Partain) sits in the audience from where she becomes a team player, after a few cords of guitar playing and singing by another actor on the stage Scoot (Jonathan R. Freeman).
The story is set in New York, at Radford Studios where a successful veteran writer is totally admired by a young, ambitious, and utterly charming assistant, who joins him as a co-writer in creating the stories for the studio. And as in life, the romance takes them both by storm and they simply cannot be without each other - they always find the ways to reunite.
Sam Henry Kass (Playwright) cleverly created 'Brooklyn's Way' a dramedy, which is a reflection of a modern day 'Romeo and Juliet', and clearly expresses the obsessive love as a modern-day saga of deep, possessive love. Some of the lines in the play are in the lines of: Even God has his limitations regarding miracles, I am mesmerized by your Soulful glare, you are my everything, A terrible sense of loss is screaming out, yet I am hurt by my own echo. During his long career, his many critically acclaimed plays have been produced Off-Broadway - regionally & abroad, Sam has also created and written many pilots for NBC, CBS, FOX & ABC.
In the 'Brooklyn's Way', the two stars work very nicely together; the talents complement each other well. Both are strong actors with different emotional baggage's as characters, exposing their good and bad sides. She is enchanted with his talent; therefore, totally possessed by his presence and her words indicate that by the end saying, 'I will always adore you'. As most of the artists they express their feelings through painful, captivating and yet sometimes playful dialogues, playing back and forth with a rainbow of emotions from frightening to joyful and with the explosive dialogues they show their perspectives and insights of who they are and what they would like to achieve.
With his extensive credits during his twenty-five-year career, Ronnie Marmo (Director/Producer) embraces the play fully taking it even further, and with his directorial skills shows how human emotions can be destructive or uplifting, according to the choices one makes.
During his career Marmo managed to call both the East and West coasts home, and as an actor/producer/director/writer. He has directed over 50 stage productions and produced about 125 plays in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. In addition to his extensive credits as a director and a producer he's been serving as the Artistic Director of THEATRE 68 for the past 23 years.
The other creatives are Matt Richter, with his inspiring animation and images projected on the back wall (Lighting & Projection Design), Lisa Zambetti (Casting Director), Taylor Abbay (Stage Manager), and Sandra Kuker-Franco (SANDRA KUKER PR - Publicity). Great team-work!
'Brooklyn's Way' runs from September 7th - October 13th. Performances are in The Rosalie Theatre @ Theatre 68 Arts Complex at 5112 Lankershim Blvd. in NoHo, CA 91601. Friday & Saturday shows are @ 8pm and Sunday @ 7pm. Running time is 80 minutes. General Admission is $25.
For more information and to purchase the tickets online go to www.theatre68.com
