BUFFALO NEWS REVIEW 4/15/08
'Nickel and Dimed' takes a stand for the working man
By
Colin Dabkowski BUFFALO NEWS STAFF REVIEWER
Three Stars!
It was clear from the moment you walked into the ALT Theatre, a cozy little
space tucked into the labyrinthine corridors of the Great Arrow Industrial
Park, that this was not going to be a traditional night at the theater.
Thy lyrics of Ani DiFranco's beautiful-sad "Tis of Thee" ("They
caught the last poor man, on a poor man's vacation") and a cover of
John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" filtered through the sound
system. A bright orange playbill contained a section titled "Welcome
to America," which listed several disturbing facts about class
inequality in the United States, not the least of which is that 29.9 percent
of Buffalo's population lives below the poverty line, making it the
second-poorest big city in the country.
In light of that -- and, in fact, in any light -- Subversive Theatre
Collective's production of "Nickel and Dimed" is daring,
direly necessary and unapologetic activist theater. In championing the virtues
and decrying the mistreatment of America's working class, it does not beat
around the bush. It's shooting for outrage from audience members, and though
its methods are rough around the edges, it hits that target dead on.
Barbara Ehrenreich's groundbreaking book "Nickel and Dimed: On
(Not) Getting By in America" served as the basis for this improbably
successful dramatic adaptation by Joan Holden. In the play, as in the book,
Ehrenreich applies her skills as a journalist to walk and work in the shoes of
America's working poor. She scrubs toilets, waits tables, serves food to the
infirmed, does just a few of the tough and demanding jobs that barely manage
to keep millions of Americans housed and fed, even taken two at a time.
The strength of Subversive's production lies far more in its ideals than
its execution and succeeds far more as a piece of vital activism than a piece
of theater. With a cast of 12 that often stumbles over lines or delivers them
stiltingly, Ehrenreich’s message seems at times in danger of getting lost in
rough translation. But it's a testament to the dedicated and appealing cast,
however inexpert, and to the strength of the author's message, that it comes
through loud and clear.
In the lead role of Ehrenreich, Moira A. Keenan is a chief offender in the
clunky delivery department, but otherwise delivers a compassionate performance
that captures the journalist's concerns about putting her upper-middle-class
self into the shoes of the working poor: "The anthropologist
parachutes in and assumes she can speak for the natives," Keenan
says, a note of disappointment combined with bubbling outrage emerging in her
voice.
Standouts in the cast are Jennifer Linch in a variety of roles, including
Ehrenreich's beaten-down co-waitress, and Justin Fiordaliso, who gets a lot of
comedic mileage out of the pursed-lips look he perfected in Studio Arena's "Indian
Blood" last year. Paul O'Hern makes a good showing, too, in the roles
of Ehrenreich's editor and boyfriend.
Director Virginia Brannon has staged the show smartly in ALT's deep space,
especially the choreographic extravaganza that has several customers of "Mal*Mart"
pushing shopping carts around a clothes rack at dizzying speeds.
Of all the worthy points made in this very worthy show, perhaps none is
more poignant than the one uttered by Gail, Ehrenreich's beleaguered
cowaitress, during a particularly frustrating day on the job. "You
give and you give, and they take and they take," she said.
And now, thanks to Subversive Theatre, at least a few more of us are paying
attention.
Drama presented through May 10 by
Subversive Theatre in Alt Theatre, 255 Great Arrow Ave. For more information,
call 408-0499 or visit www.subversivetheatre.org.
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