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The 21st Annual Young Playwrights Festival
Karma
By Enoch Abraham
Directed by Tiffany Trent
In Your Dreams
By Scarlett Mays
Directed by Ilesa Duncan
Kid Kusine
By Aaron Ablot & Marisha Hekmatpour
Directed by Alex Levy
Produced by Pegasus Players
At Truman College
1145 W. Wilson Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 773-878-9761, tickets $12
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time is 2 hours, 20 minutes with intermission
Through January 28, 2007
Young playwrights have a comical mood this year
Over the last 21 years, Pegasus Players have helped give a voice to many talented young writers. Past YPF artists include playwright David Barr, actor/director Harry J. Lennix, actor Steve Harris, actor Don Mayo, director Gary Griffin, playwright Marvin McAllister, actor Carlos Bernard and Pegasus Players’ Artistic Director Alex Levy. This year’s crop of writers speaks to their comic bent. This Festival has emerged as the national model for developing young playwrights by including over 70 high schools and hundreds of teen writers. This year the three finalists will have professional playwrights as mentors. Lisa Dillman, Mia McCullough and Carlos Murillo offered their expertise. The result produced three polished and mature plays that mirror the mood of these 21st Century teens.
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Karma, by Enoch Abraham, is a funny, smart relationship play that produces several empathetic characters lead by Taj McCord’s Thomas Blake, a Harvard bound poet who pines for the sexy Leonara, a rude, self-absorbed beauty. Osiris Khepera’s Terrance is the wise buddy to Blake who tries to help the poet to realize that Fiona (Jehan Whittaker), the loyal, loving girl-next-door type is Blake’s real love. With smart humor and nicely developed characters, playwright Enoch Abraham demonstrated his talent for storytelling. This work has a fine message. I liked this one act.
In Your Dreams by Scarlett Mays is a ‘chick ‘play that has two lovable, vibrant teen girls, Ebonie (LaNisa Renee Fredrick) and Sparkle (Jehan Whittaker) are infatuated by rockers PowWow (Taj McCord) and Chuck Black (Osiris khepera). The girls plot to get to the meet the rockers and a funny adventure ensues as the two fantasize meeting the rockers. Fredrick and Whittaker were a hoot as the stat-struck girls.
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Kid Kuisine by Aaron Abolt & Marisha Hekmatpout is a ‘guy’s’ play that deals with a cute premise: Charlie, a 20-something wimpy guy who got dumped by his girlfriend and contacts chicken pox, pink eye and an ear infection. This trauma has Charlie reverting back into his childhood as he relives those innocent times. His roommate, Buck (the hilarious Howie Johnson) tries to get Charlie out of his little boy act. This cute play is a refreshing look at the thin line between adult and kid behavior. Nick Lewis is precious as Charlie as he plays with toys, dresses in feet pajamas and lives on Kid Kisine meals. This show was a hoot!
The state of mind of today’s youth is filled with humor and a mature take on growing up. I liked these plays. YPF offers a terrific opportunity for Chicago teens to develop their creativity. Come see these cute plays and you’ll have a good feeling about the young generation. They have talent and heart.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2007
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