HIGH -- Melodramatic

By Bob and Karen Isaacs

BOB:  TheaterWorks Hartford has brought in a new play by a young playwright, one of which played on Broadway recently

KAREN: yes, Looped, about Tullulah Bankhead. He comes from Connecticut also.

BOB:  We're talking about Matthew Lombardo. It's called High and it stars the wonderful actress Kathleen Turner.

KAREN: High is about Sister Jamison Connelly who agrees to sponsor a 19-year-old drug addict to help him combat his addiction. One of the twists is that she is a recovering alcoholic who occasionally slips.
 
BOB:  The problem with this play, there is too much of a play

KAREN: Some many issues are brought in

BOB: There are so many different stories --- even though it is only three characters, you wonder if someone should have rewritten or edited this.

KAREN: First though Rob Ruggiero did a good job directing this -- it is a world premier. Secondly the chance to see Kathleen Turner play a somewhat typical role for her -- hardnosed, cynical broad -- though in this case she is supposedly a nun --

BOB: but she is still cynical and foul-mouthed.

KAREN:  but she is still fascinating to watch. The young man, Evan Jonigkeit who plays the addict did quite a nice job. the problem is there is a character in this play for a priest -- the one who runs this facility and pushes Kathleen Turner to work with the addict. That is an impossible role.

BOB:  It has a lot of pieces to it and lot of outer relationships.

KAREN: But it doesn't hold together -- I never understood his motivation. Michael Berresse does the best he can with it.

BOB: Right

KAREN: It needs work and it is moving on to Cincinnati. It runs through August 22 in Hartford and it is nearly sold out.

BOB: This needs work. The ending becomes very melodramatic.

This review appeared on WNHU-88.7fm and wnhu.net.