Speed Limit 25 finishes its 2 week run with a final performance tomorrow in the Haymarket theater, showcasing for the last time this year an impressive array of Paly talent through the scripts, acting, and directing of one-act plays.
It’s nearly impossible to generalize the collective mood of this show. The plays are so various, they’re impossible to group together. They portray the many facets of teenage life. A side effect, however, is that many of the plays show uncomfortable issues. Mainly portrayed through several monologues, after a while the play begins to lose its initial power. I believe that the show was, in general, too long; a slightly shorter production would have been more powerful. One can only stand a certain amount of teenage "life sucks" monologues at once, and after a while, it seems rather repetitive. Still, the length is not so much of an issue as to steeply subtract from the plays, and Speed Limit 25 remains a wonderful portrayal of teenage life.
The performance begins before the actors even get on the stage. The directors, Olivia Pratt, Scotty Arnold, Claudia Cravens, Sam Marks, Kim Schisler, and Brittany Heideman stand in the lobby and ask for photo ID, checking all electronic devices and sometimes scanning shoes. It was a beautiful, deliberate parody of airport security measures. Some were escorted into the greenroom for "further inspection" before they were able to sit in their seats, a sort of "random search."
Play is a comical one-act about cell phones. It’s marvelous in its execution, and the actors are marvelous in their performance. Surprising and funny, it echoes modern day life in a semi-abstract, semi-realistic way. The actors, who are also the directors are convincing in their phone conversations and dialogue both on and off stage. The directing is exceptionally funny and clever. The play was concise and to-the-point. The result was a beautiful display of artistry and wit.
Working Title is about a grown writer and his relationship with another woman. This was a well-written, well-performed scene, though it didn’t seem to be something I could relate to, even as a writer. Still, it was remarkably performed, with convincing acting and a splendid tempo. It was a strong piece because it was straightforward and direct.
Bluff is a one-act which dives into the minds of poker players, and while it isn’t discussing any major controversy in the US, it is definitely amusing and has an interesting plot line. In the beginning of the one-act, the audience wonders who will win the poker game. Will it be the expert Vegas guy, the outraged "my girlfriend’s cheating on me" guy, the rich guy, the ninja-bandit guy, or the… other guy? Slowly, the audience’s attention pivots to the mysterious character Mickey, played by junior Sam Badger, and what he’s really thinking. Badger creates a hilarious cloud of mystery about the poker game, and makes the play a wonderful piece of drama. Chris Richardson also adds his talent to the one-act by a beautiful performance of changing emotions and shifting morals. All actors, including Scott Henning, Matt Medina, and Eric Heaton played their characters with both wit and talent, making this a truly enjoyable part of the performance.
When Love Fails demonstrates beautiful acting and wonderful directing by Scottie Arnold. The singers, Lauren Hall, Emily Scott, and Alex Quin possess beautiful voices and sing both solo and in harmony to tell of the love that fell apart between their parents. In three different situations, the characters make their world come alive to the audience through both song and monologues.
The Most Massive Woman tells the story of once-overweight girls who want an easy solution to their unaccepted bodies. The cast members, Brittany Nohra, Hannah Junkerman, Jenni Marks, and Zoe Boggart, were motivated and showed great commitment and energy in all of their actions. The play presents an abstract theme, with actors changing into different people. The audience is left uncertain about whether events take place in the past, the present or the imagination. The result was sometimes hard to follow.
The dance piece, titled, A Retrospect in Music and Dance was interesting musically and physically. The music was diverse and interesting, a blend from the previous decade. The styles ranged from hip-hop to pop to rap to swing. The dancing was upbeat and lively, a perfect demonstration of skill and talent by Tori Lofgren-Boll, Preeti Mann, Julia Tachibana, and Kelly Thaker.
A Gut Wrenching Tale was a humorous play about a growing boy, as perceived from inside his stomach. Though brief, it was a much-needed break from the seriousness of the previous three plays. Actors Naomi Horiuchi, Sam Marks, Daniel Rosen, Amy Rose, and Amelia Hannon portrayed their complex, crazy characters with a grace that made the play look easy, though surely picking up a fellow actor and dragging her offstage backwards is a skill that’s near impossible for most. The acting was amusing and heartfelt; I enjoyed every minute of it.
Cockamamie was absolutely hilarious. It showed the transformation of two friends into their "real selves" by twisting different stereotypes. The costumes, designed by the tech class, and directing by Kristen Lo added to the humor of the play, and the actors were accurately cast for their roles.
Then came a serious drama, Under Glass, which was a one-act dealing with abortion. The play was thought provoking and well-executed. Actress Katie Turner and actor Blake Wilson were completely convincing in their motivations. They perfectly portrayed the unsure, wanting another chance teenagers that were suddenly doing something controversial and frightening. The play was an enjoyable, powerful piece of theater.
If for nothing else, the one reason why anyone in the school should see Speed Limit 25 is for What You Can’t See. This moving one-act looks at the big picture first: a street filled with people, one character (played by Adam Carter) is selling watches, another (played by Liana Elliot) is handing out Jesus flyers, along with actors Hadas Goshen, Michelle Arias, Gabe Lutge, Meredith Horiuchi, and Alex Mamelock. Then the scene freezes and the play focuses on one person and their thought monologues. The actors were completely believable, portraying their emotions not only through their thought but through their interactions. While interacting, their emotions seemed calmer and more subtle, the way normal people would behave, but their thoughts were screaming. Olivia Pratt wrote the script to include characters that a teenage audience could relate to–more than once, different situations have reminded me of that play. I applaud everyone involved in this play for a job well done.
The entire show, Speed Limit 25, was a thoughtful jumble of plays and well worth the $5 for a ticket. I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, but it was not up to the standards set last year with Big Love. Though the individual plays were fine, the length subtracted from the overall power of Speed Limit 25. Hopefully, the show will be condensed next year and Speed Limit 25 will continue to flourish.