Brüka Theater kicks off 16th season with hit ‘Italian’ drama
The Brüka Theater kicked off its 16th season with “Italian American Reconciliation,” a folktale written by John Patrick Shanley. The show runs from Oct. 3 to Oct. 25 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 19. The theme for the 2008/2009 season is “The year of the metamorphoses.” Future productions will include “Metamorphoses” by Mary Zimmerman and “The God of Hell” by Sam Shephard.
“Italian American Reconciliation” stars well-known local actors Mary Bennett, Holly Natwora, Scott Beers, Jorge Hoyos and Sandra Neace. It is performed downstairs in the sub-Brüka theater. Beers opens the play by introducing himself in a dramatic Italian accent as Aldo Scalicki and involving some select audience members with the performance.
As the play continues, the audience learns that Aldo’s best friend, Huey Maximilian Bonfigliano (Hoyos), is experiencing something like a midlife crisis and desperately wishes to reconcile with his ex-wife Janice (Natwora). He has devised a scheme that he hopes will get his life back on track in just one night’s time.His haphazard scheme somehow involves wearing jodhpurs and sending Aldo out to do most of the dirty work.
Throughout the course of the evening, Aldo and Huey make separate trips to visit Huey’s current girlfriend Teresa (Neace) and her Aunt Mae (Bennett) at the soup house. They also visit the bloodthirsty Janice who is known for her bad cooking, disdain for men and her attempts (and successes) at shooting living things with zip guns.
However, as the evening plays out in an unexpected fashion, the characters inevitably learn a lot about each other and their own lives. The play settles into a peaceful conclusion following such an eventful night, although the story leaves several questions about the fate of its characters unanswered.
Still, Aldo satisfactorily concludes the play by expressing its lesson and hope-filled message to the audience — that the greatest success is to be able to love.
As usual, much of the Brüka Theater’s cast is superb and the play is altogether entertaining and interesting to watch.
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $18 and $16 for students and seniors at The Melting Pot or by calling the Brüka Theater box office at 775-323-3221. Shows begin at 8 p.m. every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until Oct. 25th.
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on Tuesday, October 14th, 2008 at 12:20 am and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, InsideReno.
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