From London to the ‘Burg … Playing With Impressions at The Brick

The Brick is where it’s at. The Too Soon Festival that is. Last night I happened to catch two very different performances at the intimate theatre located on Metropolitan Ave. The Brick describes itself as being a “non-tourist theatre, real theatre for those that live in NYC,” and they had me at non-tourist. After you open the heavy industrial door, you are welcomed by smiling theatre-types and told to take your seat in the DIY theatre space. Its brick walls and black back drop do nothing to distract you from the performance, something the theatres in London’s West End are very good at. So I sat and waited with anticipation as to what I was about to witness. The name of the first play was rather odd but it did explain what I was to see; Dandilion and the Amazing Bicycle Powered Cloud Plane.

While watching the short play with “mean” pig people and an enigmatic bunny rabbit, montages that resemble scenes from Rocky and impromptu props, I found that after I stopped trying to work out what it all meant, what it was representing and just took it for what it was; a trip into the imagination of young experimental theatre kids, it was funny, light and enjoyable. It reminded me of some of the community theatre I have seen back home. The kind where the actors stop trying to over think the script, the costumes and even the acting and just have fun with what they obviously love to do. This little production was written by Heather Coffey and Andy Hadaway, and directed by Heather Coffey.

After the first play, there was an hour’s wait till the second, so I found myself in an area of Williamsburg I have not explored yet and a little hungry. I crossed the road at the first sign of food: a pizza sign in the window of the Alligator Lounge. I was pleasantly shocked to discover that in this small yet cute bar, when you order any alcoholic beverage you receive a free perfectly sized pizza (that tasted great by the way). So I recommend that when you visit The Brick, cross the road and get yourself a free pizza too.

Chemistry is a play about a non-couple who met at a bar and then decided to write, act and direct a play together, in which they cross-dress as the other. I find that usually cross-dressing that isn’t over the top can lie a little flat, however it was very obvious that Danny Bowes and Jillian Tully had spent a lot of time getting into character but how hard is it to mimic your best friend?  Not taking anything away from their acting, as I found them to have a good ability. They claim that what happened in the play actually happened and it would be amazing to believe that the witty, critically placed well-dressed lines where exact to their real conversations. It was well written, much thought out and extremely enjoyable, a great introduction to the theatre in Brooklyn. I found myself smiling the entire way through.

The Too Soon Festival continues to put on other performances until June 27.