Mayan Hall’s Black Box Theatre has been the womb of new plays for decades, a testing ground for embryonic creations. Some have gone on to the Old Globe and San Diego Repertory Theatre, some to smaller regional theatres, many to the shredder. Audience members, though, can hope for something original and be guaranteed something new.
SWC’s Festival of New Student Plays featured a pair of terrific short plays and two works in progress that need a little more work.
“Distasteful Relation,” written by Sheridan Ballou-Crawford and directed by Mark Pentilescu, shined brightly through the dark topic of child molestation. A young woman, Marissa (Dinella Mesanovic), is haunted by her Uncle Will (Erik Berumen) and the encounters follow her for years.
“Distasteful Relation” has power. Ballou-Crawford’s tense script and gripping performances from Mesanovic and Berumen transformed this simple reading into the best performance of the night.
“Dudes,” written by the very talented Giovanni Alva and directed by Ruff Yeager, is a comedy channeled the thoughts of a tight-knit group of friends heading into college. An uncertain Arnulfo (Juan Manuel Alvarez), struggles over his future after high school, while his slacker friends Pedro (Chris Ansotigue) and Raul (Roman Corral) drift through life.
Alva’s script is perfect for college students trying to find their way and for transfer students who are still unsure where they are headed. Beyond the relatable script, “Dudes” is unremarkable. Flat performances from nearly each performer, except Arnulfo’s mother (Andreina Longoria), a few missed cues and ill-timed jokes caused “Dudes” to stumble.
“Myocardium,” written and directed by Suhey Nieto, focused on the tragedy of a doctor losing her first patient. Dr. Susan (Itzel Alonzo) finds herself lost and distracted after the death of her patient (Erik Berumen) and seeks comfort from her friend Dr. Gabriel Lehman (Ryan Quiambao).
Nieto’s script is appropriately melodramatic and does well to highlight the tragedies and concerns of those in the medical field. Berumen’s second performance of the night as the lost patient is strong, but everyone else fails to embrace their roles. As such, “Myocardium,” a promising concept, lacked the heart necessary to be effective.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin’s Bucket,” written by Andre Gonzales and directed by Ruff Yeager, was an absurdly hilarious comedy about the conflict between contemporary conservatives and liberals on a variety of issues. Jerome (Andre Gonzales) only wants to help the less fortunate for Christmas, but soon an anti-“Christ”mas lawyer, Gloria (Lauren Martinez), comes to shoot him down and all hell breaks loose. Rush Limbaugh, Michael Moore and Benjamin Franklin all made appearances, which left audience members either laughing or scratching their heads in confusion.
Satirical in nature, the fast-paced comedy featured enthusiastic performances alongside a heavy-handed message. Gonzalez’ script is rich with material for some great performances. Josef Tellez, doubling as Rush Limbaugh and Benjamin Franklin, stands out as the most enthusiastic and entertaining, though ChuChi Janes’ physical performance as David, the lead character’s cousin, was equally hilarious. Gonzalez’s performance as the lead is solid but may have been a bit too direct. While funny, “The Curious Case of Benjamin’s Bucket” is a bit heavy-handed in its roasting of the American Right. Gonzalez should tighten up his text this summer, and produce the show this fall — just in time for the political season.
