Jamaica Moon Productions and The Gloria Gifford Conservatory (GGC) Players present an evening of one-act plays, one by the iconic Tennessee Williams and one by Jason Miller, prolific writer and actor of “The Exorcist” fame. To quote Gloria Gifford’s Mission Statement: “We will outproduce the negativity, stay focused, over perform like the Olympians, and put ourselves in a position where we have to fight and stretch for our passion and provide passion to all the people to whom we bring out art.” The current production certainly lives up to its goal.
27 Wagons Full of Cotton by Tennessee Williams
Flora (Danielle Abraham-Sanchez) is a cuddly bit of Southern fluff who shimmers with sultry seductiveness as she titters and touches her amorous husband (Haile D’Alan) and his buddy Silva Vicarro (Chad Doreck), who comes for a business meeting and definitely finds unexpected excitement during the visit. While hubby is away working, kittenish Flora plays. Williams delivers the audience sex in a steamy package. Arson was never so much fun.
Moony’s Kid Don’t Cry by Tennessee Williams
Jane (Joey Marie Urbina) and Moony (Billy Budinich) are an amorous couple coping with new parenthood and near poverty. Moony has big dreams which might take him away from his lovely wife and the cute baby who sleeps in the dresser drawer. He faces a tough decision: to go and seek the end of the rainbow or to stay and keep cutting down trees to fund his subsistence existence. By the way, Moony’s kid does cry – and at the most inconvenient times.
Lou Gehrig did not Die of Cancer by Jason Miller
Victor Spinelli (Danny Siegel) might have had a terrific career as a ball player – but chose another route. Now he coaches a group of kids with an iron hand. Meanwhile, his wife Barbara (Keturah Hamilton) gets to host Mrs. Martin (Denisha Kain), a kiddie baseball mom who is trying to help her son weather the storm of divorce. And her son just happens to be on Victor’s team. The play definitely suggests that a chance meeting can become very special.
Gloria Gifford helms the GGC players with a sure hand as they navigate the complexities of stories by two famous playwrights. Happily, she has a talented group of actors to work with, and each delivers a solid performance. Kudos to Danielle Abraham-Sanchez, who can keep laughing no matter what – and gives new meaning to the term hottie. Each actor does a splendid job of tapping into the authors’ message. WILLIAMS, WILLIAMS & MILLER is double cast, and the current review spotlights one of the double cast ensemble. One of the special features of the current production is that it has something to offer everyone – from comedy to drama with a little sex thrown in. Theater buffs will also enjoy the opportunity to see some infrequently produced short plays by two powerful writers.
WILLIAMS, WILLIAMS & MILLER runs through June 12, 2022, with performances at 8 p.m. on Saturdays and at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Gloria Gifford Conservatory is located at 6502 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038. Tickets are $25. For information and reservations, call 310-366-5505 or go online.
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