AND THE MONEY KEEPS ROLLING IN (AND OUT) // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "MONEY LAB"

BY MATEO MORENO

Walking into a show produced by Untitled Theatre Company #61 you never know what exactly you're going to get. You know it's going to be a smart endeavour, that it will mold things you've seen on stage with things you haven't, and that it's going to fill you (at least if you're like myself) with the simple joy that good theatre should always bring you. Conceived and Directed by Edward Einhorn, MONEY LAB: AN ECONOMIC VAUDEVILLE comes at a perfect time. Who isn't worried about their dollar and how it's spent, what it's being spent on, and if they should part with it in the first place? Einhorn has crafted here a show that's part Vaudeville, part Economics lesson (in the most entertaining way), and part experimental theatre. If you can wrap your head around that, dear readers, follow me down the rabbit hole of commerce.

Each night features different acts (all listed on their site) and I'm sorry to say that the show is closing this weekend and that I'm just now seeing it, because I would have loved to see how everything shapes up watching it on a completely different night. On my night I was treated to the following: The Charming Master of Ceremonies Mick O'Brien brings us into the world of Money Lab and introduces us to the evening’s proceedings. He explains that the blue and red chips we hold (which audience members buy on their way into the theatre) can be used to purchase items during the show. They can also be traded for several other things throughout the course of the evening as well. You can buy food, drink, or art at the concessions booth run by Corinne Woods, or head to the Exchange Table and have a chat with Gyda Arber. Mick also lets us in on how our "money" is fluxing though the evening due to our own interests in real time. It really is a fascinating small steps into economics mixed with live performance. There was even a moment where the audience all pooled their chips together to fund a donated performance by one of its featured stars Stephanie Willing. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've just invented Kickstarter," bellows MC O'Brien. And then the money (or chips) kept rolling in. A beautiful thing I tell ya.

The vaudeville sections I saw on my night were all splendid. Award winning storyteller Steve Zimmer tells a very entertaining story about The Fed and Alan Greenspan. Alan then shows up himself a bit later in the evening (in the guise of actor Lynn Berg and written by Michael Fanelli) telling the audience the difference between money and worth, ending on an appropriately uncomfortable note. Finally, Patrice Miller choreographs a bold and beautiful dance piece called "Dead Cat Bounce" (featuring dancers Dina Rose Rivera, Stephanie Willing, and Laura Hartle) set to a video mash up of the 2008 financial collapse. That alone, in its simple wonder, was the most provocative moment of the evening. If you can drag yourself from the couch of money worries into the downstairs theatre at HERE, I can guarantee you a great time. Hell, you might even learn something. However, if you have the attention span of a knat, or say are like the family of five that sat behind me the other night and enjoy letting your kids run around and talk in full volume inside a theatre that is not located inside your home, stay in front of your TV and watch reruns of "Anger Management." But for everyone else, come on down to Soho. Mick and the gang are waiting for you.

MATEO'S GRADE: A

Conceived and Directed by: Edward Einhorn Featuring: Mick O'Brien, Gyda Arber, Corinne Woods, and a rotating cast of characters Choreography by: Patrice Miller For tickets: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/943751

FINAL THOUGHTS: Another intriguing piece of theatre that continues to cement Untitled Theatre Company #61 as a leader of top notch experimental theatre in New York City. Keep it coming guys. Keep it coming.

MATEO MORENO recently won a bet on who could hold their breath the longest underwater. He won the bet, having beat local loudmouth Jimmy "Thunderbird" Thomas with a record breaking "fourteen minutes." True, part of that time was him unconscious and the other part was him being revived, but he still counts it, and is now $20 richer. Take THAT Thunderbird! He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION? // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "THE VELVET ORATORIO"

REVIEWED BY MATEO MORENO

In 1989, just a mere eight days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the beginning seeds of The Velvet Revolution began in Prague. It was the beginning of the end of their communist reign and the beginning of a new era. It would be an era that would force the entire party to relinquish power in Czechoslovakia, see the resignation of Gustáv Husák as president (after he appointed the first non-communist government in 40 years), and the election of Václav Havel as their new leader. It was a non violent, powerful revolution that brought about a sudden and dramatic change. The Untitled Theatre Company No. 61 has worked on several Czech history pieces over the years, and now they are presenting their first fully staged production of THE VELVET ORATORIO, an operatic/play hybrid telling the story of the revolution seen through the eyes of Havel's signature character, Ferdinand Vaněk.

We begin with news of the falling of the Berlin Wall given to us by the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia Shirley Temple Black (yes, THAT Shirley Temple), played by Andrea Gallo. Then we’re off to an interrogation room where Ferdinand Vaněk (Matthew Trumbull) is being held by a police officer (Ross DeGraw). He toys with Vaněk, trying to get information from him; information regarding a march the officer thinks Vaněk may be a part of and states he only wants to keep things from getting “out of hand.” Sure enough, they do, and a rumor that a student is killed in the melee spreads like wildfire, enraging everyone around. From there we go from “found text” scenes (partly based, according to press notes, on recently released U.S. State Department documents and corresponding Czechoslovakian / Soviet documents and interviews with journalists, diplomats, and ordinary people who were in the streets of Prague during the revolution), opera chorus numbers, and powerful scenes with Havel’s character Ferdinand Vaněk piecing together the revolution, the removal of power, and the aftermath. It may seem like a large mixture to swallow, but it’s a powerful structure that goes off with a bang.

Librettist Edward Einhorn and Composer/Director Henry Akona have crafted a delicate, layered, and powerful retelling of the Velvet Revolution, keeping it informative for all but simple enough for an audience member without much prior knowledge of the event to grab on for the ride. The production is structured into pieces. There are the “Found Text” speeches, gathering the facts of the day to day movement of the Revolution. There are the opera choruses, beautifully sung by a large ensemble including the lovely voices of Moira Stone, Terence Stone, John Gallop, & Jenny Lee Mitchell. Then there are the Vaněk scenes, played with confusion and firecracker dead pan timing by Matthew Trumbull. Trumbell is fantastic here, showcasing our own face into the fray with bewilderment, humor, and a take charge performance. However he’s not up there alone in those scenes, and there are plenty of scene stealing moments from Ross DeGraw as a conniving officer, Mick O’Brien & Yvonne Roen as two pushy old friends, and an almost Albott and Costello routine by Mike Maloney & Michael Villastrigo comically describing the Martin Šmíd story (my favorite scene of the night occurred between Trumbell and DeGraw in a bar, which brimmed to a near perfection from the two talented actors). Akona stages it simply, never allowing busy bodies to distract from the central story, but leaving way for striking and powerful images. He also projects the English lyrics to the Opera as they’re sung (which are sung also in English). And Einhorn really achieves a nail biting rhythm, especially in his writing of the Vaněk scenes. They’re a beauty to behold.

Of course, not everything runs perfectly, this being only the second performance that I attended. There were a few flubbed lines, the Martin Šmíd comedy scene definitely needs tightening, and the Opera solos were so wonderful I could have definitely spent more time hearing their wonder. But I feel by the next round of performances (they perform on and off again in November, December, and January) they’ll have a true rhythm and grace. Even with a few hiccups, it’s filled with beautiful moments to witness. Perhaps I was a bit more emotional, as I attended Velvet on the anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall, or perhaps simply between the strings, the opera graces, and the stirring dialogue, acting, and direction, this wonderful ensemble truly moves you. It definitely moved me.

MATEO’S GRADE: A-

Liberetto by: Edward Einhorn Music and Direction by Henry Akona Original Dramaturge Karen Lee Ott Starring: Matthew Trumbull, Ross DeGraw, Craig Anderson, Andrea Gallo, John Gallop, Jonathan Kline, Jillian Kuhl, Mike Maloney, Jenny Lee Mitchell, Mick O'Brien, Eric B. Oleson, Yvonne Roen, Anna Marie Sell, Emily Shankman, Phoebe Silva, Moira Stone, Terence Stone, Michael Villastrigo Content Advisory: Some Language Playing at: Bohemian National Hall (321 East 73rd Street) Dec 12-13 & Jan 13-14 For Tickets: http://www.untitledtheater.com/

FINAL THOUGHTS: An original, beautiful evening of Opera, drama, and history. More evenings should be so bold.

MATEO MORENO is an actor, playwright, and director in New York City. He owns and runs TheArtsWireWeekly.com and has had four of his plays produced, including BOHEMIAN VALENTINE, HAPPILY AFTER TONIGHT, WITHIN OUR WALLS, & LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK. He is currently working with Boomerang Theatre on a short play piece and spends his days working on the Broadway hit MATILDA.