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Hope and Gravity
Galleon Theatre Group presents the South Australian premiere of this clever play by Michael Hollinger. Directed by Kym Clayton and starring Dora Stamos, John Koch, Mari Nield, Nathan Brown and Mark Drury.
SYNOPSIS
The action unfolds in nine briskly-paced out-of-sequence scenes that begin inside an elevator, where we hear the fuzzy details of an elevator accident the night before – an incident that will eventually link the scenes. Each scene functions as a self-contained vignette but is also a single piece of a big puzzle with the play’s characters interacting on one level, with no idea that their lives intersect on another. Their lives intersect in surprising ways that are both comical and tragic – through love, sex, poetry, dentistry, phobias, in offices, homes, and in hotel rooms. Jill longs for Steve, who’s engaged to Barb, who hooks up with Peter, who’s already having an affair with Nan, who’s married to Marty. Meanwhile, Douglas, who teaches creative writing to Jill and Steve, meets Tanya who’s hoping to get pregnant with Hal. By the time Hollinger is done with his inventive, non-sequential funny play, he’s provided a narrative arc that the audience delight in piecing together themselves.
REVIEWS
“…brilliantly structured and hilariously written…” – Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“A satisfying, crowd-pleasing puzzle play, with nine scenes in two acts, but not in chronological order.” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Some of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny; others are tenderly poignant.” – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
“There’s a thrill in chasing this plot – it’s always tantalizingly ahead of you – and finally nailing it. The thrill extends to witnessing five actors, some in dual roles, as they lay out this story that happens in the past, or sometimes in the future, yet also in the present.” – WHYY Philadelphia
[It’s] Michael Hollinger at his best: witty banter, well-turned phrases, and genuine characters make us laugh; then something unexpectedly wonderful and mysterious lifts us to a new level. Gravity tugs us downward but hope allows us to soar, as HOPE AND GRAVITY shows.” – BroadStreetReview.com