Dog Act Review: Aaron Grunfeld, Metromix

(Photo: Isaiah Tanenbaum. Pictured: Chris Wight, Lori E. Parquet)

Aaron Grunfeld returns to Flux for his Metromix review: the last (and only) time he reviewed us was for Pretty Theft, and I was especially interested his structural questions regarding the middle of the play (after many months, I think the decisive factor was our inability to pull of the wrenches moment. Not wanting to spoil a key moment in the play, I believe that if we’d been able to make that happen, it would have torn open greater stylistic space in the fabric of the world for Joe’s more dreamlike scenes, making them feel more like an inevitable piece of the play).
But that long ago, and we doing fine and fine, and we’re glad to welcome him back. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get as many words writing for Metromix as on The Fifth Wall, so he’s unable to elaborate on his criticism on the more broadly physical choices of some of the characters. Still, it makes for an interesting juxtaposition with Joshua Bambino’s concern about the acting becoming too naturalistic; that tension is one of the exciting things about the play, and something I’d love for us to keep fine tuning when we have an actual long run and preview process…presumably when we reach China.
My favorite quote:

Their speech has echoes of old frontier style: they’re not just “tired,” they’re “bare-ragged and foot-fagged.” It’s a funky patois that lead actress Lori Parquet speaks like it’s the most natural way in the world to talk.

So, read the whole review, then get your tix, and then leave your own thoughts on the show here.

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