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Matthew Fotis' A Year in the Life of Twenty-five Strangers Living in a City by the Lake is a walk through of different emotions, situations, relationships, and problems that are strung together by the months of the year and Brian (Adam Ferguson), a repeating, gay waiter character. The show is presented by Ten Grand Productions, the resident theater company at the Algonquin Theater. The modest space at the Algonquin can barely house the 23-member cast, but director Shaun Colledge does a good job of maneuvering the actors on and off the stage.
They start off cleverly and festively with January, a skit about conceiving a baby that takes place right after a New Year's Eve Party. From henceforward, Fotis picks out the most remarkable event of each month, i.e. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, April Fool's Day, etc, and turns them into plays that are roughly five minutes. Yes, the number 12 is promoted, from the 12-month format to the 12 geometric, four-sided shapes that comprise the background. Gimmicky, yes, creative, yes, but always entertaining and successful, no.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that some of the scenes are incomplete. Wrapping up a story with a beginning, middle and end in 5 minutes or so is hard work, and to his credit, Fotis takes a strong stab at it. Plus, he's dealing with micro plays within a larger play and trying to correlate them all. His intentions are admirable, but they sometimes fall short. For instance, February's V-Day pity party, in which two friends dine at a restaurant is a slice of woe is me life, but doesn't go anywhere by the time it ends. Statements like "at least you're not dead" by Theresa (Sabrina Gibbar) to her excessively loud (even for the character), crass and surprisingly single friend Evelyn (Stephanie Bush) may be discomforting food for thought, but the story doesn't end, not like January's story that gets a reprise and conclusion in December. March's St. Patrick's Day celebration and suicide attempt, all between gulps of PBR beer, seems like a throwaway within the dynamic. Although there is some good sibling banter between brothers considering going to a funeral (Eric Orive and Dan Faraguna) in April, the skit never quite lifts off of the ground. Though September's ex-girlfriend reunion does have the most heightened drama, it fails the most at not being complete and believable.
However, Fotis' knack for capturing a brief moment or conflict in time does shine in some of the scenes. In spite of May's Mother's Day fiasco not having a credible ending and posing a question about logic (there are some background couples in some of the far too many restaurant scenes, but not in others), it is a fine and funny exhibit of mother-child quarrels. And though the right atmosphere isn't created for July's doctor's office, two people do find some common, likable ground. June's Paris trip in which a couple (David Stadler and Michele Rafic) tries to rekindle their romance is the best example of what the press materials calls "chilling accuracy" in both acting and writing.
One particular scene that stands out, and not for good reasons, is November, a monologue about...well, it got me. George (Matthew Murumba) stands around and kicks back a few brewskies, talking about this and that but nothing in particular. He has a point of reference on stage that he keeps addressing, but doesn't validate. The props (chairs and tables) are set up in a peculiar configuration with chairs on top of tables on top of other tables with no justification. These reasons and the fact that Murumba is the sole African-American presence in the production are what sets apart this scene from the rest.
A Year in the Life...is a predominantly smart look at Chicago life, but the weaving of the stories is not as tight as it can be. This New York premiere has heart, but some of the scenes need work. Imports can be a great thing, particularly when a good piece of theater meets the thriving NY theater industry. However, it's no Pizzeria Unos yet. Some fine tuning here and there, and it can rival the popularity of the deep dish. Yes, I know, theater isn't food, but that's the whole point. Theater should be at least as satisfying, if not more. We've got a sampling here, but not a whole meal.
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Through May 18th. Tickets: $15. http://www.smarttix.com/ or 212-868-4444. Algonquin Theater, 123 East 24th street, New York, NY.
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