Word: atas
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Everything works out too nicely. Ata just decides, in a fit of neurotic passion, that she wants to defy her husband in some way (i.e., by becoming a criminal), then regains her self-confidence by going off with a woman she barely knows. In a bizarre Flannery O'Connor reference, Bo attempts to convince Ata by telling her, "A good shimmy is hard to find." Ata thinks she's found a life that will finally make her happy...
...times, "Criminal Hearts" seeks to answer big metaphorical questions that go way beyond its scope or capabilities. Ata wonders aloud whether the robbery is really occurring and if she or Bo really exist. There's also the conflict between trust, a value important to Ata, and respect, which Bo chooses. Some subtleties in this generally blatant, in-your-face play do exist, but they aren't satisfying or logical. Only the obvious comes across through the acting...
...done by Hambly, who tries to liven up her flat character. Madden is appropriately unapproachable and successfully conveys a ring of untruth in her voice. Unfortunately, the performances are weakened by the ludicrous subject matter. The minor characters have even less dimension. Since even the relationship between Bo and Ata isn't well-developed, the smaller parts are still less memorable...
Technically, the lighting was masterful. The play begins in the dark during the robbery; as the viewer's eyes adjust, the scene becomes clearer and the viewer can make out the furtive burglar by faint light from a window. While stuck in pitch black, the viewer empathizes with Ata and her fear: however, this is the only time in the play one feels any empathy for any of the characters. However, the dramatic silences were violated by the annoying and incessant buzzing hum of the lights...
...star of the show is neither Ata nor Bo, nor the lighting, but rather Tommy's House of Pizza. Every scene takes place in Ata's slovenly apartment, around which Tommy's pizza boxes are scattered. At each scene change, the boxes are artfully moved around and the piles added to. The back of the program even offers a coupon for a free cannoli from Tommy's. "Sesame Seed Edge" Pizza and Dr. Pepper (Ata's meal of choice) are a far more appealing option than this play...