Off-Broadway Theater Review: SOLITARY LIGHT (Axis Theatre Company)

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by Dmitry Zvonkov on September 15, 2014

in Theater-New York

ASPHYXIATING

solitary-light-4-photo-by-dixie-sheridanNeither the excellent quartet playing quality pieces that are at times rousing, nor Karl Ruckdeschel’s lovely period costumes, are enough to make Solitary Light, with music and lyrics by Randy Sharp and Paul Carbonara, a tolerable experience. With an artless libretto that is sentimental and always on-the-nose, the lack of a meaningful, or even a coherent, plot, the absence of characters and drama, choreography that has performers rushing aimlessly around the stage like startled chickens, and Mr. Sharp’s helpless direction, the best thing about this 80-minute musical, which concerns itself with the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, is that it’s not longer.

solitary-light-1-by-dixie-sheridan

Musicians: Paul Carbonara, guitar; Andy Burton, piano; Hajnal Kármán Pivnick, violin; Samuel Quiggins, cello.

Cast: Spencer Aste, Shira Averbuch, Mara Beier, Dewey Caddell, George Demas, Emily Kratter, Lynn Mancinelli, Stephanie Regina, Jared Young.

solitary-light-5-photo-by-dixie-sheridan

photo by Dixie Sheridan

Solitary Light
Axis Theatre Company
presented as part of the second annual Theater:Village festival
Axis Theatre, One Sheridan Square
scheduled to end on October 4, 2014
for tickets, call (212) 807-9300 or www.axiscompany.org/

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

David September 16, 2014 at 7:17 am

Not only are the meaning and plot crystal clear, the running time is about 25 minutes less than you’ve written it is. Everyone has their right to an opinion, but at least get your facts together before you claim a 55 minute piece is almost an hour and a half.

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Dmitry Zvonkov September 16, 2014 at 11:31 pm

I’ll take your word for the running time; for a show that felt like it would never end, it did end pretty quickly. I admit I did not check the clock on my cellphone immediately after the show, and relied instead on the running time listed on the Axis website…which I see now has been changed from 80 to 60 minutes. Thank you David for that correction.

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