|
BY DAVID MARLOWE
The next production at Vintage Theatre is Richard Greenberg’s comedy The Violet Hour.
The play is set in Manhattan on April Fool’s Day, 1919. An independent publisher named John Pace Seavering is setting up shop and finds himself besieged by a couple of authors, one of whom has a novel so long that the manuscript takes up the space of three crates. The author has to get the book published today or he won’t get to marry the lovely, but insistent, heiress, Rosamund Plinth.
The other author needs to get the memoirs of a famous black jazz singer published.
Meanwhile, there is a newfangled machine in the other room which continues to spit out scads of pages, while Mr. Seavering’s beleaguered assistant, Gidger, tries to bring a modicum of order to the chaotic scene.
I’ve been told that the paper-spewing machine alone is worth the price of admission. Although one hates to recommend a show based only on the viewing of a paper-spewing machine on the Internet, one must admit that the brief video will certainly pique one’s interest.
New York Times critic Ben Brantley praised Greenberg’s play in glowing terms. He wrote, “The language throughout is gorgeous (the title for example refers to “the wonderful New York hour when the evening’s about to reward you for the day”). Among his peers only Tony Kushner matches Mr. Greenberg in linguistic richness and playfulness.”
Greenberg has authored more than 25 plays, including Three Days of Rain, for which he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Take Me Out, which won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Play.
The production is being presented in collaboration with Hunger Artists.
Jason Maxwell, who stunned as the Nurse’s Aide in the recent production of Romeo and Juliet, will be featured along with Brian Kusic, Kimberly Nicole, Ben Cowhick and Crystal Verdon.
The Violet Hour will play July 10-Aug. 9 at the Vintage Theatre, 2119 E. 17th at Vine. Tickets are $22 at the door and $17 in advance. Call 303-839-1361 or visit vintagetheatre.com.
|
