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Seven years ago, I visited the Valley of the Sun from my home in New York City, smug with the knowledge that there was no place beyond the Hudson River that could offer interesting, creative and artistic theatre. Recent transplantees from NYC set out to prove me wrong. To do so, they took me to see a show at the Herberger, a show at Mill Avenue Theatre, and to this bizarre show that was a local favorite; "6 Women With Brain Death, or; Expiring Minds Want To Know" was the clincher, and I moved to Phoenix a year later.
Bob Sorenson and Theatre League have revived the oft-produced show, making the appropriate changes to the script to move it from it's original '80s locales to the perils of current day. For those who still remember the original shows, the result may not exactly be up-to-par with the previous productions, but it's still an interesting piece of entertainment in its own right and worth the price of admission.
This musical revue presents fourteen interrelated skits all dealing with current day travails for women. Originally written by eight people, six of them the original group of actresses, the play is neither a feminist lambasting, nor a misogynistic overview of housewives problems, but something in between. Through clever songs and sketches, the titled women laugh at and lament about sex, marriage, divorce, valium, friendship, soap operas and Barbie dolls. Using tabloid journalism as the spoofing link, the audience is treated to ribald humor and a few touching moments. When ribald, the show is successful; when serious, the show slips a bit.
The titled six women (Renee Morgan Brooks, Heidi Ewart, Sherri Hildebrand, Christie Klein, Debby Rosenthal, and Melissa Spevacek) make a great ensemble. Their voices are wonderful, their acting solid. Not a single one stands out, either as being too good or too poor, a perfect union for such a group piece. Each of them performs their respective types throughout the show, but successfully break out when sketches require a different persona.
There are two hilarious sketches that represent the far- reaching humor of the piece. The first, a running joke about operatic divas trying to "cross over" into other musical areas is funny and well-sung. The second, which ends the first act with a bang and is also one of the most explicit of the sketches, involves a different kind of game for Barbie and Ken.
Bob Sorenson's direction was precise, and Michael Barnard's choreography was simple but effective. Paul Bridgeman's set is a visual pun in itself, and works well for the production.
The only problems prevalent throughout the evening, besides the occasional lulls in the script and presentation, come from the newly remodeled theatre itself. The New Scottsdale Theatre is a beautifully refurbished porno playhouse that is acoustically atrocious. The first few songs of the evening became a mish-mosh that even these wonderful singers were not able to overcome. Part of the problem is the placement of the band; they sit above and behind the actresses in the only space available. Jerry Wayne Harkey's musical direction is effective for the piece, though the orchestra overwhelms the actresses at times.
This production has been extended by Theatre League until the first of September. For those who remember the original, odd and hilarious show at the old ATOP location, it's a nice trip down memory lane. For those who haven't yet experienced true Brain Death (or at least don't realize it), it's a good evening of theatre in the midst of the summer doldrums.
Production Details:
"6 Women With Brain Death, or; Expiring Minds Want To Know"
New Scottsdale Theatre
952-2881 or 678-2222
Through September 1st, 1996
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