PASTEL REFUGEES
As our story opens, it’s not a beautiful day in the neighborhood. It’s the eve of Dov’s heartrending departure for an asylum in Kansas. And joining the group is Carla, fresh from having her stomach pumped. So it’s an especially tough time right now, as the group must both let go and accept. Perhaps it’s this very tension that prompts the kids, at the drop of a cue line, to tell their stories. And when they don’t tell their stories, they sing them, often to the accompaniment of Rich’s 12-string guitar, which he just happens to have on hand. Meanwhile, as Carla so aptly puts it, “Shit happens.”
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Unfortunately, the cast proves incapable of giving these characters a third dimension. They’re not bad actors, but what can they do? Other than the occasional disagreement (usually resolved with a hug), the adolescent characters don’t interact all that much. Most scenes are presided over by Rich, who either deals with the kids one-on-one or moderates their dialogues like Phil Donahue. This puts Peter Van Wagner (as Rich) in the key role. And the weird thing about Van Wagner’s characterization is that Rich comes off as being so nice, so patient, so understanding. He does everything but drag a cross across the stage. It makes you wonder, what’s Rich’s problem?
