2008 Woodie Awards
Hold the Phone, 'Dead Man's Cell' is a Smash Hit
Sarah Ruhl brings an interesting play to the South Coast Repertory.
Mossi Watene
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Entertainment
If there is such a thing as delightfully organized pandamonium, "Dead Mans Cell Phone," would fall into this category.
Sarah Ruhl's humorous and original play opened on Sept. 27 at the South Coast Repertory in Irvine, and will continue to run on the Julianne Argyros Stage until Oct 12.
Viewers follow the story of an interestingly naive woman, Jean (played by Margaret Welsh) who chances upon an actual dead man's cell phone and decides to answer it when it contiues to ring.
Her decision to answer it leads her down a winding path of uncertainty. She spins out of control into a web of lies that strand together and eventually take her into the depths of hell, literally.
She then tributes her wacky excursion to her new found dead friend Gordon, (played by Lenny Von Dohlen.)
The story gets silly when Jean insists on helping her departed acquaintence by keeping his phone and answering his calls, in an attempt to keep his memory alive.
Along the way she learns that Gordon was a stereotypical black market business man, whose organ smuggling endeavours caused him to struggle to keep clean ties with his closest friends and family.
Gordon's peculiar lifestyle and complicated family relationship provides an interesting back story to his immoral choice of career.
His kindred still living include an overly elegant mother, an
emotionally estranged wife, an egocentric mistress, and a lonely, inferior younger brother.
Along with Welsh, the cast executes the story well and Lenny Von Dohlen portrays a remarkable performance of Gordon.
His talent is showcased in a riveting monologue that illustrates Gordon's frustrations in death. The piece brings the second act into a monumentous fruition.
Curious construction of dialogue and the pursuasive performance of Welsh and Von Dohlen sums up the poetic meaning and authentic style of Ruhl's story.
This is demonstrated when, in a sturring moment of self insecurity Jean cries out, "A ringing phone demands to be answered!"
"Dead Man's Cell Phone," is whimsical and a little bit extreme at times but Ruhl does a great job of expressing a changing world.
Her illustration of the small humanistic blemishes that a large majority of people fall victim to are excellently painted in various ways moments in the show.
The story takes the viewer for an emotional rollercoaster ride,
zipping through diffent dimensions eyes wide open and full steam ahead.
"Dead Man's Cell Phone," is a great play for the thinking type, and verifies that Ruhl is a strong competitor in the game of theatre. The show is a fine example of her writing talent about human
faux pas.
Sarah Ruhl's humorous and original play opened on Sept. 27 at the South Coast Repertory in Irvine, and will continue to run on the Julianne Argyros Stage until Oct 12.
Viewers follow the story of an interestingly naive woman, Jean (played by Margaret Welsh) who chances upon an actual dead man's cell phone and decides to answer it when it contiues to ring.
Her decision to answer it leads her down a winding path of uncertainty. She spins out of control into a web of lies that strand together and eventually take her into the depths of hell, literally.
She then tributes her wacky excursion to her new found dead friend Gordon, (played by Lenny Von Dohlen.)
The story gets silly when Jean insists on helping her departed acquaintence by keeping his phone and answering his calls, in an attempt to keep his memory alive.
Along the way she learns that Gordon was a stereotypical black market business man, whose organ smuggling endeavours caused him to struggle to keep clean ties with his closest friends and family.
Gordon's peculiar lifestyle and complicated family relationship provides an interesting back story to his immoral choice of career.
His kindred still living include an overly elegant mother, an
emotionally estranged wife, an egocentric mistress, and a lonely, inferior younger brother.
Along with Welsh, the cast executes the story well and Lenny Von Dohlen portrays a remarkable performance of Gordon.
His talent is showcased in a riveting monologue that illustrates Gordon's frustrations in death. The piece brings the second act into a monumentous fruition.
Curious construction of dialogue and the pursuasive performance of Welsh and Von Dohlen sums up the poetic meaning and authentic style of Ruhl's story.
This is demonstrated when, in a sturring moment of self insecurity Jean cries out, "A ringing phone demands to be answered!"
"Dead Man's Cell Phone," is whimsical and a little bit extreme at times but Ruhl does a great job of expressing a changing world.
Her illustration of the small humanistic blemishes that a large majority of people fall victim to are excellently painted in various ways moments in the show.
The story takes the viewer for an emotional rollercoaster ride,
zipping through diffent dimensions eyes wide open and full steam ahead.
"Dead Man's Cell Phone," is a great play for the thinking type, and verifies that Ruhl is a strong competitor in the game of theatre. The show is a fine example of her writing talent about human
faux pas.
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