Oscar E Moore

This won’t take long.  Much shorter than the two act, two hour and forty minute excruciating exercise on view at The Connelly Theatre on East 4^th Street co-authored by Zuzanna Szadkowski and Deborah Knox seemingly massaging both egos.

Thankfully there was an intermission that allowed a few patrons less intrepid than I to escape the mostly incomprehensible, ridiculous, dreary goings-on.

Szadkowski (Lizzie/Nora) and Knox (Lizzie’s maid/Sharon Tate are both better actors than writers in this incoherent, absurd throw everything into the pot (including lots of blood and spaghetti) and see what happens, difficult to follow tale of Lizzie Borden (ACT 1) and Nora of A Doll’s House fame (Act 2) with a dash of Tate thrown in for good or should I say bad measure?

I really wanted to see this production at The Connelly Theatre on East 4^th Street between Ave A and Ave B directed by Eric Tucker after his outstanding work on PERSUASION (9/29/21) and received the confirmation just hours before the Saturday matinee performance 3/4/23.

An extremely disappointing afternoon with the living dead.  Not since the infamous MOOSE MURDERS have I been so flummoxed by a supposedly riotous production.  FALL RIVER FISHING is a very solemn affair.  Too long.  Too disjointed.  Too bad.

After attempting to concentrate I finally had to give up.  It didn’t matter what happened to these unlikable people.  Couldn’t care less.

But the acting was fine.  Indeed, more than fine.  Included in the five member cast are Susannah Millonzi, Tony Torn and Jamie Smithson who appeared in the aforementioned PERSUASION.  And an all-important small brass dinner bell.

Just hard to connect.  The authors certainly have a lot to say in a rather psycho analytical confessional mode.  Not funny.  Nor satirical.  Just long.   Good theater stems from good writing.  The words influence all.  Without good words there is nothing.

Good theater should inform via story and character.  Aiming to enlighten, to connect and to entertain.  To pleasantly surprise.  Not bore an audience into checking their watches every five minutes or so.

Where is Charles Ludlam when you need him?  Just imagine what he would have made of Lizzie and Nora and Sharon!

CLOSING 3/9/23 MASKS NECESSARY

www.Bedlam.org

PHOTO:  NY TIMES

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