Edinburgh 2002

Fringe

American Triptych: Three One Act Plays
The Smirnoff Underbelly

Peter Rossi

Three plays for the price of one: cheap at twice the price.

American Triptych brings together Interview by Jean-Claude van Itallie, Icarus's Mother by Sam Shepard and The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year by John Guare. The three plays were first performed in 1965 by a group called the Open Theater, led by Joseph Chaikin.

Interview, performed first, is perhaps the most difficult of the three to perform and comprehend. It seems to centre around an interview attended by four distinct characters, that are interviewed by four interviewers rendered indistinct by plastic masks. The play unwinds and we see some of the interviewees later on during the same day in a variety of situations, such as riding the subway and at a party. The ritualistic feel seems to play on the apathetic yet intertwined nature of living and working in a big city.

Second is Icarus's Mother which revolves around a group of friends picnicing near a beach on the 4th of July . Two central characters exert control over the other three in different ways and have, we learn later, a sinister reason for so doing.

Finally, The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year revolves around the meeting of a lonely young lady and a disgruntled husband in a park, and how, after initial suspicion, they build a temporary and unusual relationship.

The acting is good, with the female lead standing out in the last play . Music and lighting effects are minimal but appropriate. Interview, and Icarus's Mother are particularly cerebral, while the other is more immediate and slightly lighthearted. There are a few common themes running through all three pieces, some more obvious than others, which contribute to an intelligent and challenging show.

Until August 25: 12.15 (1hr 20mins)