In the thick air crevassing within the Martin Luther King Jr. Library basement, there’s some heated tension, worthy of addressing. Cameron (Nick Duckworth), and Dale (Ben Kleymeyer) are in the middle of one of life’s inevitable, awkward instances; a breakup – and it’s not so swift. Originally derived from a boy/girl text conversation, stage artist, Clint Bagwell has lifted the virtual messages of an ending relationship, into a heightened theatrical piece that is memorably gender-defied.
A Breakup Is Swift is performed with two opposing personalities; Kleymeyer dons a black, jean jacket – adorned with colorful campaign-sized buttons – while Duckworth is buttoned inside a rainbow-plaid, collared shirt – their wardrobe contrasts their individual responses throughout the answer-seeking transmission. Dale is fore front about his sexual desires, and innocent defensiveness, while Cameron exists in a world where he feels obligated to justify every one of his ‘reasons’ for ending a three-week relationship.
Bagwell has done a great service in maintaining modern, theatrical movements – the “script” is gender-neutral. The opening performance of Swift casts an eye on two men, played by Kleymeyer and Duckworth; two parties handling a typical breakup situation. Exuded by familiar bantering, the most eye-opening moment comes when conservative audiences, wonderfully realize that the physical appearances of Bagwell’s actors are meaningless – their respective genders are translucent via the underlying texts.
A Breakup Is Swift is a snowflake of a performance; no two are alike. Additional actors set to delve into the roles of “Cameron” and “Dale” are Elle Sullivan, Gabby Jones, and Maggie Murphy. The five performance dates introduce varied, actor interpretations of the same conversation. Depending on when you decide to mosey yourself to the MLK Library, prepare for a realistic conversation of awkwardness and appropriate humanism.
Running Time: 45 minutes, with no intermission.
A Breakup Is Swift is playing through July 17, 2016 at MLK Jr. Memorial Library: A:3 -901 G Street NW, in Washington, DC. For tickets, call (866) 811-4111, or purchase them online.
LINKS:
Check other reviews and show previews on DCMetroTheaterArts’ 2016 Capital Fringe Page.
Read the preview of ‘A Breakup Is Swift.’
RATING: 
Best of the 2016 Capital Fringe!
