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"Uncorseted"
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"Uncorseted" is the kind of show you wish were better but still forgive for its good-natured, lighthearted charm and winning central message. Written by Patrick di Battista and Anne Laffoon, the play, set during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, draws the audience into the complicated love lives of two best friends, Penelope (Lacey Carriage) and Felicity (Goober Cemetery). The show's playfulness is manifest in the cast's choice of aliases.
Reminiscent of "Twelfth Night" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Uncorseted" is a fun, occasionally crossdressing afternoon romp. One character named George Sand (Missy Peyton) used to be a chambermaid, but she adopted the identity of a man whose advances she rebuffed by stabbing him in the chest.
Elsewhere, Penelope and Felicity begin taking fencing lessons from the daring Countess Cornelia (Lobo Logodey). Felicity wishes to impress Penelope's brother Douglas (Phoebe Virgin), while Penelope pines for Felicity herself.
The complicated desires of the cast, who defy gender norms and sexual identities, are all resolved in the end, but without any apology. Though the Countess (who goes around with a band of bare-breasted Amazonian female fencing students) declares that "the rules in this meadow free us from the rules of convention." By the epilogue, the audience sees that the characters haven't changed and have learned to accept their preferences, no matter what Freud might say.
The play claims to be "a story of loosening yourself to be free to love by your own nature." Although it's rife with innuendo and prosthetic genitals, its endearing sweetness keeps it from ever being vulgar.
"Uncorseted" is playing at The Kraine Theater (85 E. Fourth St.) through March 6. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at frigidnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212.868.4444.
— Catherine Tan
"Legs and All"
When San Francisco's physical comedienne Summer Shapiro partners up with Brooklyn-based actor/musician Peter Musante for 50 minutes of hilarious performance art, the result is pretty inconceivable. Gravity does not seem to be an issue in this world, where legs straighten upward out of boxes and dining can be accomplished on tables and chairs completely perpendicular to the stage.
The plot of "Legs and All" is a classic boy-meets-girl tale told in a completely original way. A man (Musante), who lives in an attic stumbles upon a woman (Shapiro) who lives in a box. They end up luring one another into their own worlds and exploring the different spaces together. Inevitably, they find themselves permanently changed.
Despite the very limited amount of dialogue throughout the show, Musante and Shapiro are able to keep the viewers captivated. They effortlessly execute the show's arduous physical demands. And they're also deft at comedy: Whether Shapiro is transforming her fingers into a flirtatious couple or Musante is wrestling with his suspender strap, there is never a dull moment.
"Legs and All" is playing at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place) through March 6. Tickets are $15 and can be bought online at frigidnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212.868.4444.
— Lindsay Strasser
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