The Musical Chairs Review

Musical Chairs—An Evening of Short Plays and Music

Through April 14 at Lyric Hall, 827 Whalley Ave., New Haven.

Plays: “In a Manner of Speaking” by Robin Rothstein, directed by Keely Knudsen, performed by Rebecka Jones and Aleta Staton; “Seeing the Light” by Robert McKay, directed by Jeff Stanley, performed by Kelly DiMauro, George Kulp and Janie Tamarkin; “After You” by Steven Dietz, directed by Janie Tamarkin, performed by Rebecka Jones and George Kulp; and “Lost” by Mary Louise Wilson, directed by Jeff Stanley, performed by Aleta Staton and Janie Tamarkin.

Songs performed by the Pierce Campbell jazz duo: “Sunny Side of the Street” (with Keely Knudsen), “Secret Agent Man,” “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (with Keely Knudsen),  and “Blackbird” (with Keely Knudsen).

Musical Chairs brings the party, and a casual low-key soiree with bowls of chips at the cabaret tables. This is a tidy and neat small company, now several years old, that works sweetly and efficiently, delivering one-acts as cordially and professionally as if they were waiters bringing you fancy entrees.

Showcases of short plays by composed, confident performers who’d ganged together for extra oomph used to be such a mainstay of the local theatergoing experience that I’ve forgotten how much I’ve missed this once inescapable format. Musical chairs has a cabaret theater-crispness: brisk contemporary one-acts by writers well-known (Steven Dietz, whose full-length Private Eyes was produced by Theatre 4 last year and whose “After You” is perhaps the darkest and most intimate piece on this bill), lesser-known (Robin Rothstein, who rails against the “’As It Were’ People” in a burst of semantic silliness titled “In a Manner of Speaking”), of a familiar style (Robert McKay, who with “Seeing the Light” has mastered the Actors Theatre of Louisville ten-minute play format in which a single static prop becomes the focal point of conversational hijinks) and a writer better known for other pursuits (the esteemed comic actress Mary Louis Wilson, whose delightfully dithering and uplifting “Lost” could be said to have things in common with her ephemeral acting in Grey Gardens).

The last show I saw in the beautifully renovated Lyric Hall space, a magical space that should prove to be a real boon to the small theater community, was A Broken Umbrella’s haunting Halloweentime Westville murder chronicle VaudeVillain. That show was distinguished by its large cast and lush costumes and sets. Musical Chairs uses economy and sparseness to equally remarkable effect in the same venue.

The entire five-person Theatre 4 cast is shown to good advantage here, including company co-founders Janie Tamarkin (a perky performer who appears in “Seeing the Light” and “Lost” and directs Dietz’ “After You”) and Rebecka Jones (whose laser-eyed focus makes her expressions of annoyance “In a Manner of Speaking” and bruised feelings in “After You” palpable).

One of my favorite local actresses, Aleta Staton, could steal moments right away from Tamarkin in “Lost” (in which a couple of women continually forget things, resulting in a literally upsetting spiritual conclusion) and Jones in “In a Manner of Speaking” if she chose to, but Staton’s great gift is to be such a generous in-the-moment ensemble player. She doesn’t grandstand even when she’d be forgiven.

Likewise, George Kulp (a key player in the New Haven Theatre Company production of Mamet’s Glengarry Glenn Ross last year, some other company members of which are indulging in Picasso at the Lapin Agile downtown this weekend) can do the big blustery blowhard thing magnificently, but knows how to tamp down his temper for this more intimate room. Kelly DiMauro plays off Kulp well in the alarmist “Seeing the Light.”

The Pierce Campbell Jazz Duo (whose other member is stand-up bassist Tony Pasqualoni) provides the transitions from play to play, often joined by vocalist Keely Knudsen (a Theatre 4 co-founder who also directs the Rothstein piece here). Keeping it live and low-key, and not resorting to piped-in pre-show and between-scene music turns out to be the secret weapon that gives Musical Chairs a fluid, comfortable, out-with-friends amiability. I’ve long been familiar with Pierce Campbell from his solo acoustic folk stuff, his old Irish duo and occasional cover acts, but his “jazz” side is new to me—basically he’s a well-rounded guitarist with a soothing voice. He also did pre-show patter. The idea of a theater event with a houseband is rather appealing, and truly enhances the mood of Musical Chairs.

Theatre 4 (whose other founder, Mariah Sage, does not appear in this outing) is a company that’s going the extra distance to make sure that audiences are relaxed and entertained. So much contemporary small theater arranges purposeful discomfort, confrontation and shock that to be hit with something so pleasant and pacifying is a welcome relief from midweek madness.

Musical Chairs has its final performance tonight (Thursday the 14^th of April, 2011). Theatre 4 has typically done one or two shows a year, full-length works in Autumn and comparatively lighter efforts in springtime. Company members told me that they hope to step up the pace and put up shows more often. (Venues like Lyric Hall can only fuel that desire.) There’s other Theatre 4 stuff planned for 2011, and the company has commissioned playwright George Brant to write a new full-length play to be staged in 2012.

Meantime, a few rounds of musical chairs can be most satisfying.