3rd
Annual New York International Fringe Festival 
**Fringe Excellence Awards given out August
29th**"Pipe Bomb Sonata: The 1988 Tompkins Square Park Police Riot" By Jason Grote Toolbox Productions At the Present Company Theatorium. Reviewed by Antonio Sacre for Theatre Reviews Limited "Pipe Bomb Sonata: The 1988 Tompkins Square Park Police Riot" begins during a reading in the modern-day "gentrified" East Villge, where Susan reads poetry inspired by her experience of living in Tompkins Square before and after the 1988 Tompkins Square Park Police Riot. As she does so, the cast of ten who are politely listening to her read suddenly become the characters she is reading about, and begin to enact the events that she is recalling.  This
is an earnest play that tries to make sense of New York's gentrification
of the Tompkins Square area in the late 1980's, while making the audience
think, what price are we willing to pay today, in 1999, for the safe
streets that the city has provided for us?Although there was a bit of a problem with line memorization, or maybe just nervousness from being in front of a packed house, the ensemble successfully creates characters that we care about. However, returning to the modern day poetry reading is problematic as a structuring device. The poetry itself is nowhere near as striking as the images that the ensemble creates, or the words the characters themselves speak, so it has the unfortunate effect of reiterating uninterestingly what was just stunningly brought to life by the ensemble, but the overall effect of the piece is passionate, moving, and very indicting. What price have we paid for what we enjoy today? "PIPE BOMB SONATA: THE 1988 TOMPKINS SQUARE POLICE RIOT" Written and directed by Jason Grote. Developed by Jason Grote and Brad Rohrer. Choreographer, Jennifer C. Harmer; stage manager, Lindsay Newitter; lights and sound by Rob Volk. Presented by Jason Grote, Brad Rohrer, Jeff Scherer in association with the Waterfront Ensemble at the Present Company Theatorium, 198 Stanton Street (at Ridge Street). In August at the New York International Fringe Festival on the following dates: Monday the 23rd at 9:30 p.m.; Tuesday the 24th at 6:30 p.m.; Thursday the 26th at 4:00 p.m.; Saturday the 28th at 3:15 p.m. All tickets are $11.00. For reservations and information visit http://www.fringenyc.org |