Austinist Reviews: Ring Rip Rent

And play they did. As much as the design elements frustrated, most of the performances impressed, with range and nuance that we appreciated and enjoyed. At the top of the play, the die is cast; four women are tasked with creating just the right kind of performance—including expected amounts of confession and attrition—in order to be set free. As Frankie, Betsy McCann is the leader with the most on the line, being classified as borderline—in imminent danger of being sterilized. Her sister Praline (Elizabeth Doss) is a chirpy, self-confessed slut; sad and sensitive Vincent (Tiffany Nicely-Williams) just wants everyone to like her, perhaps all the more because she's a lesbian; and Erma (Amie Elyn) is the tough, weary old hand at institutional life, with the least to lose because her reproductive organs have already been forcibly removed.

We were especially impressed with Elyn's never-flagging personification of rebellion. From the very first roll call, clasping her fingers under her belly in a rigid flip of the bird, she never backed down. In a particularly delightful scene, we were treated to a glimpse of the infectious recklessness of Erma's past, as she visits her Freudian shrink—played for full laughs in a black, Yukon-Cornelius beard by the always-delightful Doss. When the good doctor moves to discipline wayward Erma, the two of them leap on each other like rutting antelope, careening around the stage from one sexual position to another. Elyn's depiction of youthful abandon is both funny and sweet, making her present state as the irreparably damaged maverick all the more meaningful.

The other players were also consistently solid. Nicely-Williams' vulnerability was touching; Doss' puckishness was cute and endearing; and McCann's ever-cracking facade, from boss to minion, was tragic without being overplayed. Only Josephine D. Mays as Railroad Annie—a wizened mother figure—turned in a brave but inconsistent performance. While her presence was strong and commanding, her reading was frequently a touch awkward and a little forced. We respected her character and enjoyed much of her work, but were distracted because she periodically seemed distracted.

Lastly, the script was problematic. Near-future premises are tricky things to pull off. Ideally, some kind of back-story explains why, in the probable lifetime of everyone in the audience, things will be so vastly different than they are now. It's hard to fathom what kind of event would make our culture change so rapidly and so drastically, but the script never hints at how things got to such a dire point. Even the girls' histories, choppily dropped in throughout the piece, received treatment that was too cursory and full of stereotype to be genuine. So, while entertaining and very nicely played, we sensed that some kind of overarching feminist statement was never quite reached, rendering the production lightweight.

Still, as we said, with an evening of highly entertaining and nicely played roles, we left the theatre amused and satisfied. Not every play leaves its audience full of ponderous thought, and those that serve commendable performances are definitely worth one's while.

Ring Rip Rent
Thursday–Saturday, 11/2–11/18 and Sunday 11/12
The Vortex [map]
8pm
Tickets by calling 478-5282

Image courtesy Kenneth Jones on stock.xchng.