Word: sonnenschein
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...Sonnenschein...
Student playwright and co-director Michael Sonnenschein blends quirky characters, a complex plot and skillful direction in Happy Part, a tale of life, love and bowling. Bowling? Is this a subject for high drama? Well, not exactly. But Sonnenschein's dark comedy about frustrated aspirations in Tulsa, Oklahoma provides amusement and even a bit of truth in its own offbeat...
...Sonnenschein places his characters in cliched situations and then abruptly undermines the cliche with a sarcastic twist; his sense of humor produces great moments. But at times, the action degenerates into a melodramatic mish-mash (murders, explosions and family desertions abound...
There's ample comic material here, and directors Matthew Pakulski and Sonnenschein make full use of it. They are working with a small space in the basement of Leverett E, but manage to transform it into several different sites with an economical use of props. The directors have also made skillful use of the cramped space in their stage direction. Maxine and Jim's exchanges occur on a couch in their apartment, and their placement becomes significant: when the power balance between them shifts, they switch places on the couch...
...times, however, both the actors and the writer overdo it. The second half of the play, though full of slapdash action, is woefully short on the humor that characterizes the first. When Sonnenschein's script puts trite psychobabble into the mouths of these Tulsa bowling enthusiasts, the effect is unconvincing...