- Click on Title for Reviews
- AAAAH!(a sketchy romp)
- Alligators from the Sewer
- Awake and Dreaming
- Bardo "A" Go Go
- The Bastard Chronicles
- Bethelda In My Office
- Black Light Kabuki or Listen
Now ...
- Brown and Black and White All Over
- But Stevie Nicks Understands-
- PartIV
- A Call From Peter Mahoney
- Coyote and the Great Albino Bat
- Cry of Aradia: Ritual Theatre for
the Modern Woman
- Deconstructing Julie
- Destination Unknown
- Dirty on the Inside
- The Divine Box
- Duke Ellington and Me
- The Fatty and Pinhead Show
- Faust/Faustus
- Flying Home
- Hanging On Your Every Word
- Highway to Helen
- Home Plate
- Horse Tales
- Juicy Tidbits
- Killing My Lobster's Comedy Show
- Knock On Wood
- Membership Is Never Free
- Moog Bandits Gave Me the Clap
- Mumble In Numbskull
- My Head Was A Sledge Hammer
- Naked Foam and Other Objects in
Predicaments
- No Fences, a midwestern tale
- Nudity Is Contagious
- Popcorn Anti-Theater on the Mexican
Bus!
- The Purple Sage
- Right This Way Into the Fire
- Right-On Insane Asylum
- Romance: A One Man Show
- Sarcastic Fables
- Shakespeare's Mums
- Start Trekkin'
- Step Up
- Straight Ahead
- Talking With Angels
- The Tango at the Hotel Santiago
- Think of a Pencil
- Tired Cliches
- The Tragic Mellow Dramatic Death
of Doris Dinghy
- The Ugly Duchess
- The Unseen Hand
- Woyzeck
|
|
- 1play = Think of a Pencil
2name = Constantine Costes
3email = ccostes@hotmail.com
4rating = 3 Stars
5review = Confessional monologue on behalf of a woman raised by a 70's
feminist who rebels, accompanied by a slideshow that occasionally pops
up a provocative question. It's okay, but I can't say I found it particularly
surprising or interesting -- the best line is the explanation of the title
of piece. This sounds to me like the eager revelation of someone who is
very self-conscious, enjoys complaining, and thinks that their story is
more special than it really is (I must say I was disappointed, as I was
really captivated by the description of this piece). The actress has good
energy (and a decent range of facial expressions) and takes pains to vary
the pacing and move around enough to keep things going, but it is an uphill
battle with this script.
- 1play = Think Of A Pencil
2name = Jeff Thompson
3email =
4rating = 3 Stars
5review = Engaging performer with interesting premise but pretty dull story.
Dig deeper take a few more chances. Let us know these characters rather
than observe them from a distance.
- 1play = Pencil
2name = Paul Kleyman
3email = paul@asa.asaging.org
4rating = 5 Stars
5review = A gem. One of the first and best pieces reflecting on the X generation's
response to parenting ala Booomer. As a boomer parent, I want my daughter
to see this, even as I hold both excitement about and trepidation regarding
her responses. The writing has the fresh-wood smell of a just sharpened
No. 2 pencil Susan Bernfield offers a highly effective and deceptively
subtle performance of multiple characters, including herself at several
ages. her strong dramatic promise often peeks through her comedic skills.
I hope this performance makes it into the Best of the Fringe.
- 1play = Think of a Pencil
2name = Andrea Kuchlewski
3email = andrea@innedge.com
4rating = 3 Stars
5review = Susan Bernfield connected with the audience and gave a lot in
her performance. What was missing for me was a strong narrative, with specific
obstacles. I got a sense of the general conflict in the author's piece,
but I felt that it was told to me rather than shown to me--so it didn't
resonate deeply. Bernfield's performance and presence kept me engaged the
whole time, though.
- 1play = Think of a Pencil
2name = Susan N.
3email = Kaziel@aol.com
4rating = 4 Stars
5review = Mostly fun and funny, this reminiscence hit home for me. I recognized
myself as her mother, and had a great time being engaged in that relationship.
However, while the show works in many ways (mostly as standup comedy),
it falls short as theater. It has no plot, little conflict, and sometimes
fell flat.
- 1play = Think of a Pencil
2name = Jill Royce Loomis
3email = jrloomis@gte.net
4rating = 1 Star
5review = My least favorite so far. Maybe too mundane
when I expected something original, risky.
- 1play = Think of a Pencil
2name = Billy
3email =
4rating = None
5review = Watch out! With reviews like Antonio's there's no telling what's
going on...
- Antonio is a performer in another Fringe Show isn't he? Humm... but
his review here is pure dribble. Are they friends? Are they patting each
other on the back?? Or is he giving out glowing reviews to everyone?
No this show isn't what he says, it's a mundane monologue, you've seen
it all before folks... sorry, Bernfield doesn't connect with the audience,
there was a titter of laughter from this person, then a few minutes later
from someone else, never the audience as a whole, nor does she explore
anything new or reveling. It's forced..not flowing. Sure the set is sparce,
so what! It's just another "now I'm Mommy talking to daughter... oh
and now I'm daughter talking to mommy..." It could be good, but it
isn't.
- 1play = "Think of a pencil"
2name = Antonio Sacre
3email = tonysacre@aol.com
4rating =
5review = The 1999 San Francisco Fringe Theatre Festival presets "Think
of a Pencil" written and performed by Susan Bernfield, directed by
Tessa Leigh Derfner, at Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco,
through Saturday, Sept. 18. Tickets/info: (415) 673-3847, www.sffringe.org
reviewed by Antonio Sacre, staff reviewer for Theatre Reviews Limited,
on the web at Theatrereviews.com
- "I want world peace . . . I want those shoes!" With this
contradiction, Susan Bernfield opens her wonderful solo show, "Think
of a Pencil" at the San Francisco Fringe Theatre Festival.
- "Think of a Pencil" is Bernfield's autobiographical exploration
of her relationship with her mother, a 1950's woman who wants liberation,
independence, and a autonomy for her daughter. But when Bernfield looked
at her mother, "I was just embarrassed . . . I wanted to be a typical
teenager, part of the herd. I want those shoes!"
- Bits of text projected as slides serve as a backdrop for Bernfield,
who often speaks toward them. A step ladder, a stool, and a wooden box
serve as the only set, and the direction is skillful, allowing the story
to shine through. This is a simple, elegant show.
- Bernfield quickly smites the audience with her charm, carries them
with her crystal clear writing, and deposits them with humor, intelligence,
and love, at a place that we all want to be, a place of understanding of
where we came from, where we are going, and why we do what we do.
- 1play = Think of a Pencil
2name = MG
3email =
4rating = 2 Stars
5review = Yet another monologue that used the phrase "I'm becoming
my Mother!".... sigh.... there's no inspiration here, the monologue
is dull and basic, covering all the same places everyone else does without
anything either funny or enlightening. The best I can tell you is that
is is NOT painful to watch, more like passing an hour waiting for a bus
than meaningful theater...
- play = Think of a Pencil
- name = Nancy D. Neilson
- rating = 5 Stars
- review = If you think this is like seeing someone's slides from their
vacation, you're 1/2 right. But it's glorious. You'll enjoy Susan's adventures
of growing up a free thinking child - whether she liked it or not! : )
|
