MISSING GEMINI by Christine Rosenblatt-Pointing Out Pixar’s Dark Side

By Gini Chang

Gini Chang

No matter what age you and I may be, no one can resist a Pixar animated film. They are made for families after all, not just children, and were always meant to appeal to audiences of every age. As an (sort of, kind of) adult, enjoying Pixar films means catching all of the subtle things that Pixar slips in for the audience members who can’t be satisfied by mere colorful images. Something that I’ve noticed is that Pixar movies often deal with some pretty serious situations. For example in one of Pixar’s most popular movies, Toy Story, Woody literally pushes Buzz out of a window in a fit of jealousy.

We’re talking about attempted toy murder here.  But the darkeraspects of the story are quickly masked by the fun, innocent premise that all of these characters are toys and therefore practically immortal.

In another more recent film, Inside Out, the main character Riley has extremely adverse negative emotional responses to the sudden move from her childhood home to a completely new and different environment. The beauty of that movie was that, somewhere in between the lines of laughter and excitement, the story was also teaching children how to cope with and understand huge changes that may happen in their lives.

Christine Rosenblatt’s musical, Missing Gemini, is the story of a family coping with loss, but each family member has conflicting methods of dealing with their emotions. Similar to how children’s movies are made so that broad concepts of emotion and communication can be discussed in an entertaining way, Missing Gemini uses music to tell the tale of 17-year-old
Erin O’Brien, who is still mourning the loss of her twin brother, and how her actions affect the rest of her family. 

Does your favorite Pixar movie come with a dark, unexpected aspect? What do you like best about animated films? Comment below or tweet us @RiantTheatre.  Interested in seeing more of the O’Brien family? Come see Christine Rosenblatt’s Missing Gemini at the Strawberry One Act Festival on Friday, July 22nd 8:30pm; Sunday, July 24th 2:00pm; and Tuesday, July 26th at 8:30pm in the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46th St, NYC.

THE UNKNOWNS; To Be Or Not To Be... Meant To Be By Elisabeth McGowan

Elisabeth McGowan

Everyone can probably agree that many modern marriages have ended in divorce at some point in time. The typical situation happens in every relationship: conflicts arise, but sometimes those conflicts don’t get resolved. They’re left in the corner to worsen over time. Unintentionally of course, but it is still common. Even if two people don’t get a divorce, they may simply choose to stay together for financial reasons, or just because the whole process of divorce is time consuming. This societal problem has only augmented, and continues to do so. Sometimes it’s inevitable: if two people just aren’t meant to be, then how is it their fault? Then it could also be that the couple won’t try to overcome the little, troublesome things and move on. Either way, there have been countless couples with relationship issues and/or divorces.

 

Now who am I to talk about marriages when I’m not nor ever have been married? What gives me the right to start making claims about couples and the chances they have at staying together? The truth is that I don’t have any right. However, I’m saying all of this because of what I’ve seen through couples I know personally (both married or still dating). I’ve seen married couples arguing over the dumbest things: “Who’s paying the bill?” “Why did you text this person; who are they?” “Why did you like her Facebook picture?” “You need to get a new job.” “You don’t support me at all.” These are only a few of the most common fights among couples, but the real reason why this so-called trend of relationship struggles has become more prevalent is because “we have become more reliant on our partners to meet our needs in self-esteem and self-actualization,” (Slotter).

Now that’s just a bunch of fancy words from Psychology Today, but it means that people want their significant other to make them feel better, or appreciate them more; this expectation of each other can lead to wanting more from each other, leaving them dissatisfied.

 

Kacie Devaney’s play The Unknowns depicts a husband and wife that are completely disgruntled with their marriage; Scarlett claims Jeb ruined her dream to be a dancer because he chased his own to become a writer, so she had to support both of them. However, he has a different opinion. Actually, both of them have many different opinions. Money plays a large role in this marriage as it unfolds to impact their lives as a couple…or is this not their only issue? It could be something much deeper than solely finances.

 

Would you like to find out what is really this couple’s dilemma, as it could also be the actual dilemma within most relationships? Comment below and come to the Riant Theatre to see The Unknowns at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46^th St, for the Strawberry One-Act Festival. Show dates are July 14 and 17 at 7pm, and July 25 at 9pm.

REVOLVER; “You Have/Don’t Have the Right to Bear Arms?” By Elisabeth McGowan

 

Elisabeth McGowan

Nowadays, one of the biggest problems in society is the argument over gun control. Everyone knows once they turn on CNN there was another horrific shooting somewhere in the country. Gun violence has existed for the past several decades, but the debate over gun control has sparked nationwide attention. The main sides of this argument involves some thinking that guns should be prevented from the public no matter what, while others believe that the people have a right to purchase guns for defensive purposes. Then there’s also the fact that a gun control law would go against the 2^nd Amendment, the “right to bear arms.” This entire argument centers on which is to blame: the person pulling the trigger or the gun itself for its presence

            All over Facebook, I have seen friends sharing videos that supported gun control; the statements from those videos – “Look at how easy it is to buy a 45 caliber gun. See the problem?” and “Americans are buying guns in record numbers, stop gun usage!” – are pretty big claims. Can you imagine the comments fighting back from those who oppose gun control? Well some had people saying, “But the main ones behind these shootings were terrorists; if regular citizens had guns in the areas they were in, they could have fought back and not as many would have been shot by one gunman.” So again, who or what is to blame: the gunman or the gun?       

 

 

Paul Trupia wrote a fiercely effective play – Revolver. He deepens the gun control argument with actual images for the audience to decide who or what should be blamed for modern-day gun tragedies. All characters vary between every scene of this one-act production, but each one ends with a different perspective on what is at fault for this societal issue. He inconspicuously examines both sides of the debate throughout the scenes because he doesn’t want to make a claim on any side; he just wants people to

think further about this issue by seeing different events unfold.

Some people take this subject personally. I know a few who are solely supportive for gun control and refuse to even listen to the other side express any opposing opinions. I also know others who seriously believe that gun control would just worsen the country. It was difficult for me to pick a side, but after reading Trupia’s work, I formed my own opinions on this problem. I genuinely got a clearer picture of what the main dilemma is, at least from my own perception.

 

            If you’re feeling like I did, unsure of how exactly to look at this argument, you can receive an awakening portrayal from Revolver. If you already chose a side, you would also get an educational, bird’s-eye view just as much as someone without a solid opinion does. Trupia’s play welcomes every belief, every position stemmed from this national dispute, and that is precisely why you should see it. Please comment below!

        Revolver will be playing at the Riant Theatre at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46^th St, for the Strawberry One-Act Festival July 16^th at 5pm and July 20^th and 25^th at 7pm.

HIM AND HER; Why Did You Do That to Her?- Domestic Abuse by Elisabeth McGowan

 

Elisabeth McGowan

 

It’s around 10:00 pm West Coast time; I’m sitting in the dorm lounge with friends studying for finals. Of course, no one really “studies” for four hours straight. Let’s face it - everyone needs a break, or two, or ten. So we started talking about random things just for conversation to distract ourselves from thinking about final exams. One of my friends brought up an incident I hadn’t heard about: the Stanford sexual assault case. If you haven’t heard, a Stanford male athlete sexually assaulted an unconscious young woman. I would talk more into detail, but honestly…I can’t. Just reading the story online made me sick and I’m sure millions of other people felt the same way. I’m not going to talk about opinions over the whole thing, you know the whole “What’s really at fault? Him or the alcohol they drank?” I’m not going to tell you what I really think of the situation, but I am going to talk about one shockingly common thing: the abuse of women.

         Now, can men also get abused? Yes, and hurting any person of any gender is terrible. I mean, have you heard of what happened with Emma Roberts and her boyfriend? She was charged for violently beating him up. But the reason why I’m specifically indicating women is because of how many cases of assault have come to light. As a female college student, I realize that anything can happen at a party – getting drunk, talking to people. No one even has to act all flirtatious. Sometimes, “things,” if you know what I mean, just happen. I’ve been to parties. Have I seen anything that looked suspicious of imminent abuse? No, I haven’t. Then again, how would I know? I was just there with friends having fun. Women have been reportedly – and some cases are unreported too – raped, hit, both, etcetera. It doesn’t even need to be at a college party. The other day, I was watching the news – a woman was walking down a street in Brooklyn at 3:00 am and a man just attacked her, and tried to beat her. This scared me too because I’ve walked around Brooklyn.

                        

        I’m not saying that everyone should live in fear. No one should be afraid of talking to guys; that’s no way to live your life. However, I think that this issue should be discussed. Domestic abuse among relationships has also been a problem, not just today, but for centuries. Back then, men would “punish” their wives for something and abuse them. This still happens today, in marriages and in unmarried couples. You’ve heard of women getting beaten up by their significant others. Some celebrities have been shown to be in troubling relationships, like what happened to Rihanna, or more recently, Johhny Depp’s wife, Amber Heard.

 

        Matthew S. Anderson wrote a grappling and heartbreaking musical, Him and Her. His work emphasizes how manipulation can combine with hope throughout domestic violence within relationships. Anderson shows how it really is possible for anyone to unintentionally get involved in an abusive relationship. His play consists of mainly two people, a simple way to focus on how feelings of love between two people can become distorted into something entirely different.

       

I never understood why people, mainly women according to reports, chose to stay with their abusers. It continues to confuse me to this day, but after reading this musical, I saw how easy it is to become trapped in something. We all grew up knowing that it’s obviously wrong to hit others, but have you ever genuinely thought about how and why some people forget this notion, and just let go of morality? Him and Her can answer this question for you and let you into the mindsets of those who have struggled within abusive relationships. The music takes you into a certain perspective on how the characters think and act towards each other. You won’t know what to expect from this show. Come with an open mind and allow yourself to try to understand why people may think or do certain things. Even if you highly disagree.

        Him and Her will be playing at the Riant Theatre at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46^th St, for the Strawberry Act-One Festival July 15^th at 7pm, July 17^th at 5pm, and July 25^th at 9pm.

EXPRESS TRAIN; When They Talk to You Out of Nowhere By Elisabeth McGowan

 



Elisabeth McGowan

       

For those of you that that live and work in New York, you probably take the subway to get around. You probably know the stress of train delays when you have an important meeting to get to, or when you’re tired after a long day and you just want to sit in peace until your stop comes…and a stranger starts up a conversation - a random one with a subject you couldn’t care less about.

 

“Ugh what do you want?” I thought when a woman started talking to me on the train to Penn Station. I really was not in the mood to talk; I simply wanted to listen to music on my phone and stare out the window until I had to rush out of the station and get to a meeting. But of course, some people don’t get the message that you are listening to music, and they take the opportunity to inundate you with things that you don’t care about. I mean come on, when I’m listening to Maroon 5, I will not want to talk to you while trying to listen to Adam Levine’s voice.

 

It’s ironic because as I was sitting on the train nodding my head at this person that I didn’t know, trying to look like I was engaged in whatever she was saying, I thought about the play I had read from the night before – Express Train. Michael Selditch portrays that well-known moment of when some stranger strikes up a conversation with you on a train. Hal innocently starts talking to Bob, who clearly wants nothing to do with holding a conversation at 2:00 am on a subway. Then slowly, both men begin to unravel their personal lives and feelings as the train constantly stops from obnoxious railway problems.

 

You will never know how much you can actually reveal about yourself to a complete stranger. I can say so myself because after I got past being annoyed with this woman who was talking to me, I made an effort to be nice, which lead me to genuinely listen to what she was saying. I could have easily pretended to take a phone call to avoid talking to her…unless the phone rang during my “phone call.” That would have been a bummer. But once I saw that she wasn’t going to shut up, I just went along with the conversation, which although it was weird, I knew that I couldn’t just rudely dismiss her for innocently making conversation. It was weird because of the topic she brought up: marriage and how “women need to find the right men;” clearly she needed to get something personal off her chest by giving some kid advice.

 

In Express Train, Hal isn’t looking to give advice; he just seems like he needs to get something off his chest, which happens to involve an ex-fiancée. This is what Selditch wanted to show – how people simply need to get something off their chests. Sometimes talking to someone outside of your own personal realm can actually fulfill you; you’ll feel better about telling a stranger something that you possibly can’t tell anyone else in your life; it feels better since you probably will never see that person again. That explains why the woman decided to talk to me about how meeting the wrong man is life-ruining.  I now understand why she found me to give unexpected advice to. I was right across from her, so why not start a conversation about something that was obviously bothering her by masking that problem with advice?

 

Can you relate to this? Have you been through a situation like this, on a train when suddenly a stranger wants to talk? Would you like to find out how this small event can have a positive effect on someone in the end? Comment below please and come to the Riant Theatre to watch Express Train at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46^th St, for the Strawberry One-Act Festival. Show dates are July 14 and 18 at 7pm, and July 23 at 1pm.

BLACKBERRY WINTER: What Do We Want? A Responsible Solution to Society's Ills! When Do We Want It? Now!

By Jenan Jacobson 

Jenan Jacobson

The play Blackberry Winter by Kai Elijah Hamilton  brings together many issues relevant to the state of our society, blending aspects of Black Lives Matter and also the single-minded dedication—bordering on obsessiveness—of a mother whose child has gone missing. A woman who cannot get the support from the people around her, the character of Carolina is “a strong-willed African American mother” who seems to be the only person fighting in her own corner. Her position is a familiar one: a mother who is convinced deep in her bones that her child is still alive, even at the pressures from those around her telling her to give it up. 

This is a remnant of the failures of the authorities to provide the proper support for someone in her situation—what happens when the Criminal Minds experts don’t find the kidnapper, when they leave and return to their normal, day to day lives. Unfortunately, for a mother who is in the throes of devastation, this is not a situation that she can easily extract herself from. And, as far as she can tell, there is nobody reaching out a helping hand.

We have all had these moments. Perhaps not as intensely felt as a mother who is desperate for the return of a lost child, but the experience of letting loose a cry for help that goes unanswered is common enough. Students on college campuses, advocating for reforms in the policies that deal with sexual assault, issues contained in Black Lives Matter that constantly come up against legal roadblocks, or mental illness that is written off as a cry for attention and brushed aside. We are a society that lets people fall through the cracks. We are failing those who need help, and therefore people are led to increasingly independent courses of action. 

Not only does Blackberry Winter make us question the effectiveness of authority in dealing with cases that might prove challenging for them, or require more than their half-hearted provision of resources, but it also questions how victims are treated in these processes. We don’t know precisely what Carolina’s life has been like for the duration of her son’s disappearance, but we know she has not been provided with the resources to cope with it. Regardless of whatever means have been exhausted to try and find her child, her obsession surrounding it shows the poor coping strategies of someone whose psyche has been left to fester. This play reveals the chilling isolation encouraged by our refusal to properly dispense aid to those who need it. In addition to being strongly indicative of a problem in our society, the play is also deeply moving, psychological in the most compelling way, and constructed from strong characters with real voices.

Have you ever gone up against a problem, only to find the people who should be helping you are gone? Are there more ways our society is failing us, and can you think of ways to correct it? Please comment below!

Blackberry Winter will be performed as a part of the Strawberry One-Act Festival on July 16^th (Saturday) at 1pm, July 17^th (Sunday) at 5pm, and July 20^th (Wednesday) at 7pm. The performance will take place at the Theatre at St. Clement’s at 423 West 46^th Street, NYC, between 9^th and 10^th avenue. Tickets can be purchased online at www.therianttheatre.com.

GARBAGE: Joining Hamilton in Building Bridges Over the Lines Drawn by Trump

By Jenan Jacobson

Jenan Jacobson

When I heard that Trump was running for president, I figured it was something like when someone nominates a pig for the local mayoral campaign. A joke. Something not to be believed. I thought everyone would have a good laugh and get it out of their systems so real politics could continue. Shockingly enough, the pig has won a spot in the presidential election. Similarly, when I heard about the plans surrounding Brexit, I assumed it was akin to crocodile tears. It was a child throwing a tantrum, and soon enough it would blow over so long as you did not give in and feed it another cookie. Well look at where we are. Things are looming in a way I could not conjure in my own nightmares, and my family is seriously considering moving to Canada. (The Canadians are good at taking people in, we have learned recently.)

For me, and many others, I would imagine, the most startling thing about those encouraging these courses of action in our politics, is how people are buying into the notion of separateness as ideal. We have all these voices in positions of power, ranting about the differences between people, and the lines that need to be drawn, and so it becomes important when we can find outlets that embrace the crossing of these lines. Because while this is the unfortunate age of Trump, it is also the era of Hamilton. Art is doing what it can to bridge gaps, and generate connections in our modern America. It is important to focus on similarities—similarities that reinforce the commonality of our humanity, and the experiences that punctuate the human condition, regardless of race, class, or religion.

Canadians accepting Syrian refugees

Garbage, a play by John Michael Wagner, tells of meeting between a young college student who has been given community service and a recovering alcoholic whose full-time job is working on a garbage truck. They’ve been assigned to the same truck, and despite a rocky start, they begin to realize some of the similarities apparent in their various issues, as well as the ways they might be able to help one another. These men occupy vastly different social standings, the distinction between full-time job and compulsory, short-term punishment for the college educated never truly forgotten, and this might prove a point of animosity between the two. These tensions arise often enough. Friends have told me the same thing for when they get summer jobs, and the set-up is reminiscent of Annie Baker’s recent play, The Flick, which also deals with these distinctions setting people at odds with one another. However, in

Garbage, these social hurdles are ultimately avoided in favor of jointly tackling universal problems that can be understood no matter what your background is. Trouble in love. Trouble with addiction. Issues in mental health. Together, as they go about their work day, the characters Tyrone and Alex give each other insight into their individual problems. Helped, perhaps, by the different perspectives they can provide. So no, we are not all carbon copies of each other. There are differences between people, but these are differences to be celebrated. Rather than get caught up in their differences, the two characters end up working together, pooling their different experiences and insights to understand themselves more fully. 

How else do we see barriers being set up between people and how else might we try and knock them down? Have you ever been in a situation like this? Comment below!

GARBAGE by John Michael Wagner

Based on a true story, GARBAGE explores issues of class, race, alcohol, drug abuse, and Christianity. When a college kid sentenced to community service reports to a sanitation worker, they discover they each carry a lot of garbage. Together they learn what stinks and what's worth keeping.

Saturday, July 16th at 3pm

Sunday, July 17th at 9pm

Tuesday, July 19^th at 7pm

For tickets go to https://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=287

At the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46^th Street, NYC
The Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One-Act Festival