Bloomingplays at the Bloomington Playwrights Project is a set of five, ten minute plays that have been planted, and supported with critiques, readings, work shoppings, and now, full productions. There are works by veterans exploring new areas and neophytes just getting into and onto the stage.The result is a varied garden more in the messily English than the mannered French style.
"Streetside Shoeshop" by Holly McClane-who knew that Bruce Willis's wife in the "Die Hard Series" spent some of those agonizing moments writing for the theatre-featured Gabe Gloden as an engaging jive talking shoe hustler. In my evening's favorite, Tracy Bee's "For the Love of a Couch" we learned that furniture may indeed have both ears and tongues. Russell McGee's "Clockwork Man" was a good old fashioned piece of dread. "Morning" by Mike Smith nicely mined the Beckett "Godot," but with Erika Heidewald as a neatly contrasting, lovely fresh messenger. Kalynn Huffman Brower's "Party Girls" came with a warning about graphic imagery, and lived up to the implied challenge.The show is a nice contribution to the artistic agriculture of the area. Five plays, four directors, fourteen actors and particularly nice to see five sponsors.
Bloomingplays continue in flower at the Playwrights Project, 107 E. 9th Street tonight and Saturday night at eight with a closing matinee on Sunday at two.
You can find this review and an interview with producers David Nosko and Bill Goveia on our web site at WFIU dot ORG.