POWER GOING DOWN
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Busiel’s characters, who all work at the same corporation, have just emerged from a distressing meeting when a power outage lands them in the aforementioned predicament. Trapped together are the head of the firm, Mr. Wilson, his personal secretary Donna, and three underlings, Robby, Terry, and Steve. Steve has just gotten a contract that Terry desperately wants, and this provides the play’s main plot line. By the time power is restored many secrets have been revealed, and someone has gotten killed. The inept manner in which the story unfolds (supposedly people don’t hear remarks made a foot behind them, and revealing stories begin with “I never told you about my experience . . . ?”) makes Power Going Down even more ludicrous than it sounds.
There are two bright spots in this dismal evening. One is sound designer George Sawyn’s comic elevator-music renditions of popular songs, such as “Born to Be Wild” and “Satisfaction,” juxtaposed with old elevator favorites like the Carpenters’ “Close to You.” Sawyn’s coup de grace is “Stairway to Heaven.” But unfortunately his humor is cut off with the power outage.
