I Worry, written and performed by Sandra Tsing Loh, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Kennedy Center AFI Theatre, Washington

The first sections of this piece, described by Loh herself as an "apoplectic rant", will be familiar territory to listeners of Loh's public radio pieces, right down to her verbal (can I say it?) mannerisms. Perhaps the material and the delivery is over-caffeineated, and targeting the execrable Kenny G makes for easy satiric pickings, but Loh does know how to sell a punch line.

The more affecting, effective section of the piece is announced as the "epilogue," in which Loh reads a letter she has written to her children, to be opened in the event of her death. Her wails of anguished pain were taken for comic effect by most of the audience, but I heard genuine pathos.

Loh, a nervous flyer, comically swapped coping strategies with audience members at her signing table after the show.

posted: 11:40:54 PM  

Fight call!

We designed the fight in scene 9 with Arthur, our fight choreographer. As hard as I have it (it's easier for me to execute dance steps than fight moves), Andy has all the hard stuff, his face smashed into the kitchen table and a phone card wrapped around his neck. He's got a couple of moves where (of course) he's doing the work, but he needs a clear lead from me (a push on his back, that sort of thing). I think it'll look good once we really learn it. What I like best about it is that we're all contributing to the design.

Mark, our artistic liaison with the board, dropped in his two cents' worth. I hope Shelley and Bridget didn't drown in the flood of testosterone in the place.

posted: 11:25:16 PM