All In The Timing

What started out as a class assignment turned into an impromptu date with my husband, George. On our way to the News-Journal Center I gave him a run down on All In The Timing and what we were going to see. George and I both enjoy and appreciate theatre, so we were in good spirits and looking forward to the performance as we arrived. I had been to the News-Journal Center before, but this was George's first time, and he was struck by how big and open it was inside. As we made our way upstairs and into the theatre I saw some familiar faces from the classroom. Once we sat down and were settled, I was able to look around and absorb what was going on around me. We were at a 2pm matinee show so the theatre wasn't particularly crowded. Other than my classmates, the audience was made up of a mix of men and women, mostly middle aged to elderly. Because we were sitting directly in front of the stage, I looked there first. The set for Sure Thing was simplistic- just a table and two chairs. However, my eyes were drawn to the huge clock on the stage floor- "cool" I thought. Then I allowed myself to look to my right and then my left and I could see all of the ornate clocks hanging on the walls around the theatre. That is when I felt like I was being transformed into the world of All In The Timing. I started to feel anticipation and was looking forward to the start of the play.

The first play, Sure Thing, was funny and creative. I thought the characters, Bill and Betty, were easy to identify with. What girl was never a Betty or what guy was never a Bill who wishes that they could have said something different or better while they were in the moment of meeting someone new that they liked? This play was well received by the audience, who were laughing and enjoying themselves.

The second play, Words, Words, Words are about three monkeys who are trying to produce Hamlet. Their mannerisms, especially Milton's, reminded me of the Marx Brothers. I was happy to see Anthony Pachin, from class, playing the part of Swift. I thought he did a great job and was very physical with Swift's characteristics. My husband and I both loved Kafka, she incorporated gymnastics into her movements and she was fun to watch. I also noticed that when the play was over and she was cleaning up the set, she did not break character. In fact, she also came out to help with a set change after another play and even then she came out as Kafka.

The third play, Universal Language, actually took me a little bit of time to warm up to. I think the reason might be that, like Shakespeare, the language of Unamunda was somewhat familiar sounding but yet still very foreign, making it hard to follow. I did however, find myself laughing and then actually feeling sad for Paige when she realizes that the University is a scam, but then happy again when she and Alec realize they have a connection that goes beyond Unamunda. The Universal Language had me experiencing more emotions than any of the other plays.

The Philadelphia was great. Again, I was happy to see another classmate, Kenny Daniels, who played Al. I thought all of the actors had great timing and were funny. I also thought that, like Sure Thing, The Philadelphia was easy to relate too. I think everyone has had "one of those days" where nothing goes your way and you feel like you're in some sort of a black hole. The audience seemed to enjoy this play quite a bit. There was lots of laughter and a good energy in the audience that was palpable.

The last play, Variations on the Death of Trotsky, was hilarious! I just loved everything about the characters- their accents, their interaction, everybody did a great job. Luckily, I can't say that I can relate to this play, but I can say that it was hysterically entertaining. Out of all of the plays, this was the one that elicited the most laughter from myself and the audience.

In addition to watching each play, I was also listening after each play was finished and I realized that the songs that were playing were all about time. I thought this was brilliant because it keeps you in the moment and you don't lose focus on the play as a whole. In fact, it keeps you looking forward to what is coming next.

Overall, All In The Timing was a funny, entertaining and witty play. My husband and I spoke with a group of people from the audience as we were leaving and they to had enjoyed the show. One of the couples were familiar with David Ives and seen some of his other work. I mentioned to this couple that I had looked up All In The Timing online and that it actually consists of fourteen short plays. The husband then asked me if I would like to see the other plays so I smiled and said "epsomlootly!"