Amanda Thompson’s one person show was a women’s show tonight. The women out numbered the men by about 4 to 1. I would best describe this production as cute. The character Britney, the Bride, is a woman trying to find her way in a Bridezilla world, self aware of the pitfalls of weddings.
Amanda Thompson’s one person show was a women’s show tonight. The women out numbered the men by about 4 to 1. I would best describe this production as cute. The character Britney, the Bride, is a woman trying to find her way in a Bridezilla world, self aware of the pitfalls of weddings.
The production was broken down into two short acts giving the before the wedding and one year later perspective. The one-year-later section is the much stronger portion and the audience’s reaction supports its humor. There is a little bit of man bashing, but a whole lot of mother-in-law bashing. That at times can appear a little forced, but the audience got it.
The theme I felt she was putting forward was “what is marriage.” Britney is searching for a meaning to her life. This is a struggle of modern day women, but the character seemed hollow. Britney appears to be a housewife, with no life outside of marriage. It was as if she was taking the first baby steps out of the traditional trap she has placed her self in by rebelling against her mother-in-law, but the play ends before she find something more than just living for marriage.
In the strictly defined world of a semi-traditional marriage, this play speaks wonders. The audience of mostly women really responded to the humor and some were even pleasantly bemused at the handful of tame sexual references. It was as if Britney was a modern woman who is fulfilling some type of traditional family fantasy, but without a reason why. Why does “meatloaf Monday” matter to her so much?
This production was very funny and very entertaining. Intellectually I was left scratching my head, thinking: who is this play trying to reach? When a joke that referenced a soap-opera wedding got a big laugh, I think I understood who this play was for, and it wasn’t targeting the regular theatre audience. Since a large number of attendees this night were new to Fringe, which makes it work to help Cincinnati theatre in a new way, cultural outreach.
There are two more performances, 6/8 at 6:30PM and 6/9 at 8PM, both at the Art Academy.