Tom Williams

They’re Playing Our Song is essentially a two-character show. Vernon and Sonia are the sole characters on stage; each character has a three-person Greek chorus acting as their inner voices. The Brown Paper Box Co’s production uses pre-recorded music and a 70’s flavored set. Basically, it is well-sung by Dan Gold and Carmen Risi with a tad too much use of the three-person male and three-person female Greek chorus.

What the show depicts are unhappy folks, with Charlotte in the lead, each struggling to find happiness bu embarking on a strange modern-day odyssey to thwart theipast demons. We never get to like nor care about anyone as we waste 85 minutes witnessing this group of losers on their “Saturns Returns” journey whatever that means? Themes such as isolation versus connection, addiction… traume and loneliness are sung by a cast of remarkable poor singers trying to make terrible lyrics resonate or even be understood

All of the above, the character, six in all, depict Diane’s struggles and her Harlem associates. Wandachristine, in one of the strongest tour de force performances I have ever witnessed, efectively ebodies each charter, men, women, old and young with stunning acurate accents, gesturs, vocal tones in he course of delivering a powerful solo show. The writing contains vivid imagery, exceptional thythms and smart allusions.

As the action unfolds, all the elements of classic farce are in play. Stolen letters, mistaken identity, misunderstanding, false proposals, jealousy become a tug-of-war that results in silly, over-the-top comedy fueled by those zany couplets and rich physical antics make for a satirically funny farce. This comedy is saucy, sexy, and scandal ridden. Gossip, glamor and grossness dominates. This production suffers from too often the players either speak too fast or swallow the punchline or rhythm. Slowing down a tad would help.