DC Theater Arts

Tag: Nick Morgan

  • Capital Fringe Review: ‘Rolling By’ by Amanda Gunther


    Rolling By presented by Patchwork Productions is not one of the shows you’ll want to roll on by. It’s actually a fairly decent work in progress. Written by A.R. Lange the show’s central concept is that four people end up stranded on a lifeboat after their cruise ship is ordered to evacuate. And instead of immediate rescue these four people who mostly have nothing to do with each other end up discussing the trials and tribulations of their lives in an unconventional manner which leads them to the debate what if they could start all over again?

    It is a play filled with deep subject matter, dark humor, and well posed dialogue. The problem in this case is Director Brett Rudder’s choice of actors for the various roles. Niles (Keith Waters) has the strongest text in regards to developing the situation, delving deep into the tougher subject matters, and delivering the funniest laughs of the show. However, Waters is the weakest actor of the four on stage. His delivery of his lines often feels stifled and his accent is wavering at beast. He’s meant to sound British as indicated by the vernacular of his character’s speech, but he floats around this accent like their boat floats around in the ocean.

    Tessa (Allison Aguilar) is perhaps the most underutilized character in the show but Aguilar’s performance is by far superior to her co-stars. She brings a quirky realistic characterization to the character but the character seems to have very little purpose other than someone to circuitously antagonize Mae (Sadie Jonath). Conner (Nick Morgan) has a similar problem as his character is there but without a real purpose. It’s Niles’s character that really drives everything. With a few minor tweaks to the structuring of the characters the show would run flawlessly without characters seeming out of place.

    The play is chock full of witty laugh lines and a few pop-culture references that are worth a good dark chuckle. But it ends abruptly and without conclusion. If the play were to be workshopped more thoroughly and revisited with a few casting changes it has excellent potential to be a fantastic show.

    Running Time: 50 minutes with no intermission.

    LINK

    For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, go to our Fringe Preview.

  • Coming to The Capital Fringe Festival: ‘Rolling By’ by A. R. Lange

    It’s a parlor game we’ve all played – what if I were stranded on a desert island? What if I could start over, free of obligations, debt, and consequences? Rolling By starts when an exploding cruise ship gives four restless twenty-somethings the chance to turn “what if” into “why not?” This is the kind of play you want to see on a hot July night in our nation’s capital. Silly and straightforward, it gives you an excuse to indulge in thoughts of running away to a tropical paradise.

    Rather than focus on the strife of ship wreck survival, Rolling By considers what happens when four strangers find themselves stranded in a lifeboat in the Caribbean. They circle in on one question: what if being rescued isn’t the best possible outcome? Can they resist the temptation to strike out on their own, completely escaping their past mistakes and future obligations? Each of the characters in this show brings different demons and ideas to the table as they try to agree on a course of action. Rolling By aims to provide an hour of nautical hilarity—philosophical takeaway optional.

    The story takes place entirely in the confines of a lifeboat and the motion of the ocean is simulated by a rolling backdrop powered by an off-stage cyclist. If you are new to the Fringe Festival, Rolling By provides the perfect entry-level combination of amateur theater with a familiar format. If the Fringe scene is well known to you, you may appreciate the change of pace in this simple, one-set show.

    Fringe alum Keith Waters joins Sadie Jonath, Nick Morgan, and Allison Aguilar for their maiden performance on a Fringe stage. The production is lead by first-time Fringers Brett Rudder and Alethea Lange, who are thrilled to present you with this dark comedy, a play with a plot.

    The cast of 'Rolling By' by A.R. Lange: Nick Morgan, Sadie Jonath, Allison Aguilar, and Keith Waters.

    Venue: Mountain – at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church – 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC.

    Click on the following performances to purchase tickets, or go to Rolling By’s Fringe Show Page.