Wigs (FringeNYC)
About the show
Part of FringeNYC: Kidnapping! McDonald's! Boyfriends made of shirts! Safe wigs! Dangerous wigs! Two preteen girls locked in a room for years have invented coded languages and ritualistic acts to survive, appease their captor, and orchestrate their escape. Might they escape him tonight?? More…
Categories: Drama, Comedy, National. From Millions of Maps Productions. Written by Lindsay Beamish and Amanda Vitiello. Directed by Lindsay Beamish and Amanda Vitiello.
FROM THE ARTIST:
Two preteen girls locked in a room for years have invented coded languages and ritualistic acts to survive, appease their captor, and orchestrate their escape. Might they escape him tonight?? Lindsay and Amanda play our heroines: Ruthie Featherstone and Jenny Parker! Lindsay and Amanda also play The Man who stole them in the first place! Wait for the secret signal, and then take down and twist the sheet!
Then you pull it as tight as you can! Then you grab the
keys from his pants!
Then you GO HOME FROM WHERE YOU CAME!
"A piece that is structurally simple yet thematically complex…Beamish and Vitiello are completely convincing in their difficult roles; it’s hard to imagine there are better performances being given in the Fringe this year. 'Wigs' is proof that actor-driven devised work can yield superb results. It is focused and totally absorbing. For fellow theatre-makers, the parallels between the piece itself and the act of creating it are impossible to ignore, and raise tantalizing questions." Full Review
"'I am fascinated about the rituals that keep us sane because they are all we have to hold onto. 'Wigs' is full of honesty and insight regarding the complicated dynamics of a forced bond between two women and the coping mechanisms these characters rely on to make it through the night that lasts forever. We don’t know how long these women have been locked up, but we know it has been longer more than any of us wish to imagine." Full Review
See it if you want to watch two masterful actors absorb you in a difficult story
Don't see it if you will be triggered by abuse or need less abstract theater (you have to go with the piece for a while to learn what's happening)
See it if you want to see two skilled actor-devisers inhabit an ominous, mysterious world; if you want to see what "partnering" looks like for actors
Don't see it if you need narrative clarity or surprise; if you hate sitting in the front row (which are the only good seats for this show in this venue)
See it if while the 2 girls are lovely, they skip on first establishing good connection with the audience, so the final effect is not as potent.
Don't see it if you are not into "performance art"
See it if not a bad idea and structure
Don't see it if rather repetitive and confused execution
See it if You are ok with being disturbed.
Don't see it if Implied (off screen) violence against women freaks you out.
See it if You enjoy wigs and PTSD.
Don't see it if You grew up in a basement and suffer from PTSD.
See it if ...you enjoy an evening of art that goes down like entertainment (or vice versa). This is also the place to be for brilliant acting.
Don't see it if ... you desire explanations and definition over (emotional/psychological) action. Lots of good time here, but not explicitly framed.
See it if You're into avant garde
Don't see it if Aggressive men make you squeamish