2 ACROSS
by Jerry Mayer
April 25-May 20, 2018
Directed by Deborah Harmon
Actors: Joel Bryant (Josh) and Andrea Gwynnel (Janet)
Two strangers board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. They’re alone in the car, each is married, both are doing the New York Times crossword. She’s an organized, sensible psychologist. He’s a free-spirited, unemployed ad exec. She is a crossword pro, he always quits. When he tosses his puzzle away, she snaps, “Crosswords are a metaphor for life, those who finish, succeed, those who don’t, fail.” This starts an eighty-minute ride described by critics as “Hilarious,” “Witty,” “Romantic,” “Poignant,” and “Wonderfully entertaining.”
“A lovely, light-hearted ride: CVRep’s ‘2 Across’ is an upbeat, fun success. With a two-character romantic comedy, chemistry between the leads is essential. Luckily, there is plenty between Andrea Gwynnel and Joel Bryant. Veteran actors with impressive national credits, both are attractive, charismatic and comfortable onstage. Every moment in the arc of their blossoming friendship rings true.”
– Bonnie Gilgallon, Coachella Valley Independent
“’2 Across’ is good, simple fun. I found myself smiling through almost the entire 90-minutes … and what’s wrong with that?”
– Stan Jenson, BroadwayWorld
“Feel good play. ‘2 Across’ is a pleasure any way you spell it.”
– Bruce Fessier, The Desert Sun (3rd item in story)
THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA?
by Edward Albee
March 7-April 1, 2018
Directed by Joanne Gordon
Actors: Sean Smith (Martin Gray), Sharon Sharth (Stevie Gray), Arthur Hanket (Ross Tuttle), Ian M. White (Billy Gray)
Martin—a hugely successful architect who has just turned fifty—leads an ostensibly ideal life with his
loving wife and gay teenage son. But when he confides to his best friend that he is also in love with a goat (named Sylvia), he sets in motion events that will destroy his family and leave his life in tatters.
“There are four terrific, finely-judged performances in this play. But, the performances of Sharon Sharth as Stevie and Sean Smith as Martin, are true tour de force star turns. Their high-octane, intense, and highly nuanced performances drain them and the audience as well. It’s a mesmerizing evening of theatre.”
– Jack Lyons, DesertLocalNews.com
“Can a theatre set a world’s record twice in one season? Well, that’s what CVRep has done this year, metaphorically at least. Their production of VENUS IN FUR was, in my opinion, a new high mark for theatre in the Coachella Valley. But now, with THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA?, they have raised the bar to all new heights with this stellar production. With the strength of such a good play and the masterful direction supplied by Joanne Gordon, these four actors remind us of what an amazing experience can be had at the theatre and why”
– Stephen Radosh, Gay Desert Guide
ROMANCE/ROMANCE
Book and Lyrics by Barry Harman
Music by Keith Herrmann
January 17-February 11, 2018
Directed & Choreographed by Ron Celona
Music Direction by Jaci Davis
Actors: Conchita Belisle Newman (Josefine/Monica), Christopher Carothers (Alfred/Sam), Eric B. Anthony (“Him”/Lenny), Robyn Cohen (“Her”/Barb)
Two one act musicals take varied looks at romance seekers. The first is a delightful romp through the sexual ennui of turn of the century Vienna based on Schnitzler’s tale The Little Comedy. Act 2 is a modern look at affection and disaffection in a two couple summer house in the Hamptons based on the Jules Renard play Summer Share.“Even when the Coachella Valley Rep does a musical, it feels like serious theater.”
– Bruce Fessier, The Desert Sun (2nd item in story)…..“‘Romance/Romance’ is a sweet, feel-good winner. …It is a pleasure watching these four Equity performers own the stage, even slipping seamlessly from turn-of-the-century pronunciation and cadence into modern language.”
– Audrey Liebross, BroadwayWorld…
“The chemistry between Newman and Carothers is not just palpable—it is electric. The audience almost feels heat coming from the stage; it’s a terrific example of damn-good acting.”
– Bonnie Gilgallon, Coachella Valley Independent
VENUS IN FUR
by David Ives
October 25-November 19, 2017
Directed by Ron Celona
Actors: Angela Sauer (Vanda) and Patrick Zeller (Thomas)
A director is desperate to find an actress to play the lead in the classic sadomasochistic tale Venus in Fur. Into the audition walks a vulgar and equally desperate actress with a strange command of the material. As they work through the script, they blur the line between play and reality, entering into an increasingly serious game of submission and domination that only one of them can win. A mysterious, funny, erotic drama that represents yet another departure for the multifaceted David Ives.
“Angela Sauer as Vanda and Patrick Zeller as Thomas, simply put are sublime.”
– Jack Lyons, DesertLocalNews.com
“It will knock your socks off! … It is the tension between the actors that is the most impressive part of this play. The undeniable chemistry between them increases unbearably as (director Ron) Celona gradually tightens the screws, making it impossible for us to guess what lies ahead.”
– V.J. Hume, Coachella Valley Independent
“Equity actors Patrick Zeller and Angela Sauer, as the director and actress, masterfully transition in and out of their dual characters, alternating from antagonist to protagonist and even switching male and female parts as the audition evolves at a snowball pace, sweeping the characters beyond the line distinguishing fictional narrative from reality. Both actors are wonderfully multi-dimensional.”
– Bruce Fessier, The Desert Sun (2nd item in story)