FringeNYC 14: The Great Galvani

The Players Loft, perched two flights above MacDougal Street is neither large or glamorous. But there's something about the sight of a lovely, corseted, well-coiffed, Victorian bearded lady that makes one think of gaslight through a 19th century fog. Or is it just me? I want to draw her, but foolishly didn't dredge up my pad and pencil in time.

The Great Galvani begins with a brief prologue from the bearded-lady (all gaff, but looking terrific), before the main event. Which is a monologue delivered by actor H.B Ward full of shabby wonderment and real pathos. Ward is a terrific actor (he I did draw) who paints word pictures in one's head with far more skill than many theater artists and lord knows dime museums do with actual three dimensional supposed wonders. Feegee mermaids and electric experiments on the nervous systems of frogs and probably most importantly, fathers and sons. The payoff at the end is worthy of it's skilled prelude, indeed, even if one is less enchanted with clockwork marvels than this reviewer happens to be, I promise you.

The Great Galvani
The Magpies
Writer: Shawn Reddy
Director: Shawn Reddy
The Players Loft, 115 MacDougal Street
remaining performances: Sat 28 @ 7 & Sun 29 @ NOON

(Photo: Jeremy Sher)