One Acts investigate modern relationships

By Katie Powers

In the modern world of love, sex and emotion, we should all take note from the twisted gnome in our closet.

The student-directed Winter One Act festival last weekend brought two different stories to life. "The Author's Voice," directed by Greg Callaghan, featured a writer stealing his work from a gnome. The other, "Power Lunch," directed by Sara Capule, is a corporate-lunch- meets-battle-of-the-sexes.

Both shows ran on Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the Fess Parker Studio Theatre.

While each had its own flair, and a truly appeasing hunk of sexuality, it was the endearing love of "The Author's Voice" that left the audience with the most sense of heart.

David Nowakowski played Todd, the empty soul but gorgeous face who has adopted the twisted gnome, Gene, and forced him into a closet in his home. There, Gene, played by Michael Heriford, laments day in and out producing masterpieces that Todd takes as his own, impressing critics of literature and his hot corporate editor, Portia, played by Kristin Schmitz.

As Portia tries to lure Todd into sexual seduction, we see Todd's emotional absence. Both actors did a great job fluffing their roles. Schmitz played Portia well as a smart career woman who's so focused in her routine she becomes desensitized to romance. Nowakowski evoked the confusion of a vain man whose identity comes from his physical beauty.

Heriford, wearing a ragged grey wig and pointed yellow gnome hat, brought the presence of life to the show. His endearing physicality and good nature drew empathy from audience, while his spastic outbursts trying to instruct Todd how to be a good lover were quite hilarious.

Callaghan's presentation of the story brought humor and sadness effectively, and was overall a simple story that left the audience touched.

"Power Lunch" tackled all things that relate to a relationship, including gender stereotypes, bickering, foreplay and hot sexy dances that spur at the heat of the moment.

Jeffrey Adams was charismatic as the sleezy young businessman, playing the direct opposite of tightly wound businesswoman Hayley Lovgren. The business lunchers began their solo dining quarrelling over chairs, lunch and then finally sex roles and the bounds of the romantic relationship.

Things were turned upside down when Chad Eschman and Natasha Ransom, the waiters, entered the story. But Eschman played a woman, and Ransom played a man. They flirted with Adams and Lovgren, who both pretended to take on the opposite gender. Eschman and Ransom's eccentricity made for funny moments, such as when Ransom set up a hypothetical sex fantasy between herself, as a jail boy, and an officer, but instead of going through with sex, screamed that she'd shoot the officer instead.

Throughout the show, when the tension reached its breaking point, stage lights were dimmed and turned red as music began to play. Adams and Lovgren became magically magnetized toward one another as they danced.

The dancing brought about a fun life to the show, as tunes like "Cha Cha Slide" and "The Twist" played. I have to say also, Adams is remarkably bendy. Though the execution was not always perfect, the dancing provided a light contrast to all the bickering.

Capule's incorporation of different elements lead to a story that is always changing and upbeat. But with everything going on -- dancing, men as women, fighting and sexy scenarios -- it sometimes was hard to follow.

But all in all, the representations of modern man and woman perhaps served their purpose -- to show that there is nothing that can define men, women or the perfect relationship.

Both shows brought entertainment, a touch of heart, some sexy straddling scenes and, importantly, a call for reflection on the modern relationship. Or lack thereof.

Contact Katie Powers at (408) 551-1918 or krpowers@scu.edu.