We chose Three Dark Tales from a co-worker’s recommendation.  So, of course, Jason was skeptical- and rightly so.  Ever since we moved to New York City I have dragged him to some of the most distasteful excuses for theatre in the history of man.  How can the capital of the arts, home of 42^nd Street and the standard by which all theatre is judged- Broadway, be birthplace to so many rancid and bitter displays of public performance?  Well, I have come to believe that it is the sheer quantity of theatre that produces this unfortunate phenomenon.  Hence my new understanding of life- where there is good theatre, there is bad theatre, and more of it.

Fortunately, this play was different.  It was what it should be- what all theatre should be.  After my tirade in the previous paragraph, you may wonder how they managed to get it right.  What made this play stand apart from the bad and the ugly?  The secret is they used a very simple recipe.  Here it is:

Take four dedicated actors. 

Fold them into an interesting situation. (Be careful not to fluff or your work may become too contrived.)

Rehearse until smooth. 

Voila!  You have a great show. 

For this basic recipe I recommend skipping the decorative beads and icing since the genius of the flavor lies in its purity.

The stories weren’t life-changing, but they weren’t supposed to be and who cared because the style was so interesting.  What the play lacked in props and set it blew away with energy.  But, most importantly, it was easy to appreciate how relentlessly they must have rehearsed this thing because the timing was unshakeable.  This show was a delightful treat after a long flop famine.