Negotiations and Love Stories
Raconteur Theater
Club Diversity
Columbus, Ohio
May 21 – June 6
* * * 1/2

by Rick Brown

Raconteur Theater is the Gypsy troupe of Columbus, Ohio. Every performance is in a different space. At first I found this a bit disconcerting. But after witnessing the show at Club Diversity I feel otherwise. The “club” is actually a converted, old, seemingly Victorian house right on High Street in the Brewery District. This environment was a good fit for the first anniversary show by Raconteur.

Making it feel all the more spontaneous was that Negotiation and Love Stories consisted of a hodge-podge of short one acts delightfully thrown together. This helter-skelter…all over the place…approach is something we at Naked Sunfish can most certainly relate to and revel in.

Beginning Act I was Dave Grant’s Plugged In. Under the fine direction of Jill Ceneskie, Joel Dickerson’s joyously manic portrayal of college student Erik was both fun and thought provoking. Communicating with his roommate (in the very next room none the less) via his computer’s instant messaging, emailing back and forth to a potential love interest and trying to maintain a diplomatic conversation with his mother on a cell phone, Mr. Dickerson became the quintessential high technology juggler. This was a great opener.

Jimmy Mak’s Roger’s Beard followed. The strong writing of this Shadowbox veteran allowed Sam Blythe (Eddie) and Allison Wheeler (Claire) to lightheartedly peel away each onionskin layer of marriage, adultery, deception and uncomfortable proximity. Director Jason Speicher’s approach to Mak’s play as farce made this entertaining, especially in the context of a series of fast moving one acts.

Not so successful was Rebecca H. Jones’ Forever Again. After the frivolity of the previous sketch the seriousness of the plot fell short. The actors seemed wooden, mostly stiff and did not move gracefully in their performance space…or their character’s skin. Raconteur’s actors are, for the most part, young. And playing mature, broken hearted, bitter people is sometimes a leap of faith the audience has difficulty making. Such was the case here. Only Anna Wang’s scorned Diana came close to eliciting sympathy.

Closing Act 1 was Rockabye Bullet by Jaclyn Villano. Dealing with a possible unplanned pregnancy in the middle of a family reunion is serious stuff. And for the most part the players here rose to the occasion. Brent Small, and more so Emily Mills displayed a loving sense of urgency and nonplussed anxiety. But Heather Fidler’s entrance and performance as the mother of the possibly pregnant daughter lifted the storyline to a more believable and satisfying level.

Act 2 began with the chestnut of the entire show. Richard Martin Hirsch’s Fast, Light and Brilliant was performed skillfully by Elizabeth Huff-William as She and Robert Foor as He. Under the poignant, yet realistic direction of Mary-Aileen St. Cyr, the longest piece of the evening flowed superbly. With the metaphor of watching fireflies as a backdrop, both Ms. Williams and Mr. Foor commanded our attention with riveting, engaging presence. Their performances at once provoked empathy and understanding for two out-of-towners drawn to each other (like fireflies) at a conference…two people knowledgeable in love, love lost, and the promise of tender redemption. Bravo.

His Return by Percival Wilde followed. Set in the World War I era, Jill Ceneskie plays Helen Hartley, a woman anxiously waiting the return of her wounded soldier husband John (Andrew Hartley). For those in the audience who knew the actors are married in real life, this added a delicious twist. Ms. Ceneskie played her worrisome character’s concern that her husband will notice her slight aging (the dress she said goodbye to him in no longer fits) subtly enough to keep Helen likable rather than self-absorbed. And this made their reunion charming and mostly believable.

Closing out Negotiations and Love Stories was David Lewison’s Walking Distance. The plot turns the tables on the stereotypical “man picks up woman in a bar” saga. This time Angie (Shanelle Marie) swaggered into a pub looking to take a man back to her place for the night. Sam Blythe’s understated coyness and hesitation at Angie’s bravado was charmingly refreshing. While Ms. Marie’s confident Angie sometimes bordered on “hooker chutzpah” the interplay between her and Mr. Blythe was endearing and seemingly genuine.

While a little uneven in part, Negotiations and Love Stories, especially performed in such a disarmingly comfortable environ as Club Diversity, provided a wonderful evening of entertainment. I certainly respect this troupe’s embrace of change and risk taking.

For more information on Raconteur Theater please go to: raconteurtheatre.com