Review: Infringement Night 2

The King’s Infringement Festival kept the ball rolling Tuesday night with four more original plays and an improv act.

The evening’s first production, Darrin Carr’s Freaking Dead, featured a séance-like ritual in which a character’s dead friend is contacted. Although at first it’s unclear what’s going on, the play moves quickly and the characters are unique and believable, realistically awkward one moment and casually offhand the next. Despite the niche setting, the characters’ witty banter kept it relevant and believable.
Next, Promoted showed us a day in the life of a confused soldier who is promoted all the way to general in just a matter of minutes. The play’s quick pace and Sean Mott’s minimal but witty script made up for what felt like rushed acting.
Sam Walerickton and Alison Balnar’s The Weight, set in an obstetrician’s waiting room, was the highlight of the night. A clever and insightful exploration of things as trivial as waiting room dynamics and as deep as the nature of parenthood, this play’s clever script was supported by very strong acting. The characters, though a little melodramatic in places, were hilariously realistic, and the play’s awkward moments were palpable. With its witty and intelligent dialogue, this play points out some painfully true aspects of family life, while staying fresh and believable.

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Before the intermission, Henri’s Improv, performed by Make ‘Em Ups Improv, used the props from the night’s other plays to devise their own. Building on audience suggestions like “Cats in Space,” “Mike Duffy” and “Fozzie Bear,” this improvising duo’s wit and charm had everyone laughing for almost the whole twenty minutes.
The evening wrapped up with a longer performance, This Ain’t Yo Mamma’s Orestia by Robin Hassam and Holli Lowe. This play also started slowly, but picked up towards the halfway point. While some characters were annoying and seemed to stick out, others were believable and immediately likeable, and the script was well paced and clever.
Night two of Infringement was a pleasure to attend. The hard work was evident, and what the performers lacked in rehearsal time they more than made up for in energy and wit.