THE STORY: In adjacent apartments that resemble nothing so much as broom closets with windows, the three young, ambitious neighbors of Melissa James Gibson’s [SIC] come together to discuss, flirt, argue, share their dreams, and plan their futures with unequal degrees of deep hopefulness and abject despair, all the while pushing the limits of their friendship to the max and demonstrating that language can be both an instrument of intimacy and a weapon of defense. Theo is a composer trying to create a heroic theme for an amusement park ride called the Thrill-o-Rama; Babette is a writer trying to finish—or even start—a book theorizing that temper tantrums are the major motivating force behind historical events; and Frank is a would-be auctioneer preparing for his future career by constantly practicing tongue twisters as “Sally sought some seeds to sow but sadly soon it snowed.” By exploring these questing lives in language that alternates between exhilarating structural inventiveness and loony comedy, poignant soul-searching and incisive analysis of the life that may actually exist beyond one’s four walls, Melissa James Gibson has created a unique play that is as witty and wise as it is stylistically groundbreaking and unexpected.
“A work…concerned with the sound and power of language…The most alluring new play to open in New York this season.” —The New York Times.
“…a wonderfully original take on urban friendship and the comedy of manners—a Design for Living for our times…the best new comedy I’ve seen in many a season.” —New York Observer.
“Urban anomie is sliced, diced and served up as tasty canapés in Melissa James Gibson’s clever, very adorable new play…Gibson’s voice is a distinct one: a mixture of the archly articulate and the lazy, pause-ridden slang-speak of Gen X-ers.” —Variety.
“The protagonists of Melissa James Gibson’s [SIC] may not be heroic or particularly useful to society, but they are refreshingly witty and wise to the world.” —Time Out New York.
