Good Acting and Good Eats

Down an alley hidden between two posh stores in Westport center is the entrance to Toquet Hall, where Play With Your Food presents a set of one-act plays and delicious lunches from noon until 1:30 p.m. for three consecutive days in February, March, and April.  The series, which began in Westport in 2003, has expanded to Fairfield and Greenwich, and is going strong.    

Finding Toquet Hall is a bit of a challenge the first time you go.  When this reporter mentioned that the space was tough to locate, a happy ticket-holder agreed. 

"But it's worth it," she said.  

And she was right. 

The funky teen center, its high ceiling decorated with billowing swaths of faded fabrics in blue, yellow, pink and green, was filled with excited patrons Jan. 14 for the final day of the January set of Westport plays.  The crowd seemed to be old friends, as folks sat on the edge of the low stage chatting and noshing. 

The fare was chicken and roast beef wraps plus an outstanding eggplant and tomato salad courtesy of Abbondanza on Charles Street.  Coffee from Starbucks, Pellegrino water, white wine and yummy chocolate chip cookies also came along with the tickets.

Once the crowd finished their meal, the entertainment began.  Producer Nancy Diamond and Artistic Director Carole Schweid welcomed us and then introduced each of the three short plays in a charmingly informal and efficient way – you can tell that these ladies know theater, and know their audience.  They also know how to keep the event rolling along on schedule. 

The first one act on this day was "American Gothic," by Michael McKeever, a fantasy in which the two people in the classic painting come to life and discuss their situation – stuck inside a frame all day long for 70 years, unable to roam – and unable to get away from each other.  Ably played by Kate Katcher and Sean Hannon, it was the shortest and the lightest of the three works, but elicited a lot of laughs.   

Second on the bill was "Precipice," by William Mastriosimone.  This short play featured Sarah Koestner and Brian Hoffman as two young would-be lovers who decided that a hike up Mt. Ranier would be a good first date.  Well-acted and full of allusions to faith, risk-taking, and the mating dance, it was remarkably nuanced for a theatrical quickie over lunch. 

The performance concluded with "The Agreement," by Janet Neipris, about a divorcing couple who had quite a few emotional loose ends to tie up before dividing their assets once and for all.  Featured were Eileen Lawless, Sean Hannon, Richard Leonard, and Barbara Rhoades.  All of the actors used by Play With Your Food are professionals and members of Actors' Equity, and it shows.

After the performance, the actors came back onstage for an entertaining question and answer session.  It was exciting to get a chance to break the fourth wall and talk to the performers about each of their roles.  A brisk exchange revealed a lot of opinions about what theme tied the three plays together, and what the audience took away from the one acts.

Andrea Fein, from Westport, who was attending Play With Your Food for the first time, said that she was glad she came.  "I really thought the writing was fantastic," she said.  "It's a great gift to the town." 

Fein's favorites were the first and third plays; she felt that the second was less realistic.  In contrast, her buddy Eilene Brostoff liked that one best.  Brostoff said that, "There was such anxiety in 'The Precipice.'  I really thought I could feel what the characters were feeling."

What's remarkable is that such high caliber of theater is available in the middle of the day at a charming little teen center nestled in an alley way.  In less than two hours, right here in Westport, one can find good food, good acting, and good fun.  Following it up with a talk-back discussion is icing on the cake. 

Patrons are privileged to see very good performances by virtue of the fact that the plays are short and are presented with script in hand, thus avoiding the need for a long rehearsal period.  It's also the highly accomplished actors who make this possible.  An experienced professional can bring a piece together with a minimum of physical blocking and no set, no props, and only the suggestion of costumes. 

The lines leap off the page in these carefully chosen short dramas, and it all feels very fresh, alive and accessible.  Adding food and the wrap-up discussion makes for a wonderful bargain.  It's no surprise that Play With Your Food has been around for seven years and has expanded successfully.

Diamond and Schweid have concocted a winning recipe for an appealing series, and it's no surprise that everyone who attends leaves with a taste for more theater. 

Play With Your Food also performs in Fairfield and Greenwich, in more conventional theater spaces, which seat more patrons.  The Westport venue, Toquet Hall, seats about 90 attendees, and those tickets sell out as soon as they go on sale, according to Diamond.  The seating is admittedly cozy, but it gives the feeling of an intimate, informal space, which suits the style of these staged readings of one-act plays.

The Westport season continues on Feb. 2, 3, and 4, March 2, 3, and 4, and April 13, 14, and 15.  Tickets are $42, and can be ordered by calling 203.293.8831 or online at www.playwithyourfood.org, where detailed information on which plays run on which dates is available.