A Review of Barry’s “A Night of Comedy”

By Amanda Gonzalez Garcia

Barry U student actors. Photo Credit to RemiJin Camping.

“Some words that would describe ‘Night of Comedy’ would be fast, unpredictable, honest, and genuinely funny,” said Assistant Professor of Theater Elena Maria Garcia, the director of the play, which premiered on Feb. 16 in the Pelican Theatre. This theater production covered a series of five one-act plays.

Meet The Cast:

Liam Bouza, The Buccaneer’s very own writer, has assisted in main stage shows for theater since her freshman year. Bouza was pleased to be stage manager for one of her last shows before graduation, alongside Daliah Sappington.

Jayden Bryan is a sophomore with a double major in theatre and business management who played various roles such as Adam, Roy, and Radio Operator.

Jessica Calle is currently a junior enrolled in the Bachelors of Fine Arts Theater Acting program. Calle’s roles in “A Night of Comedy” were that of Eve, Nell, and Kaitlin.

Crystal Carbonell is a freshman theatre major and serves in roles outside of Barry such as the alumni president for Miami Charter’s Troupe 7590. Carbonell played Kendel in “A Night of Comedy”.

Kayori Hanna is a senior theatre major. Hanna’s roles in “A Night of Comedy” were that of Brunilda, Female Actor, and Supervisor.

Isadora Iglesias is a freshman with several years of dance training. Iglesias was last seen in Animal Farm. Iglesias’s roles in “A Night of Comedy” were Kyle and Assistant A.

Anne LaMont is a freshman theatre major. LaMont’s roles were God and Assistant B.

Chrystepher Lopez is a freshman theatre major and a proud Cuban-Italian actor. Lopez’s roles in “A Night of Comedy” were Male Actor and Protagonist.

Janell Campbell is a freshman student in the theatre program who played Alice and Older Actor in “A Night of Comedy.”

Veronica Ospina is a senior majoring in marketing. Ospina worked as marketing and social media manager for “A Night of Comedy.”

From left to right Anne LaMont, Chrystepher Lopez, Isadora S. Iglesias, Kayori Hanna, & Jayden Bryan. Photo Credit to RemiJin Camping.

Breaking Down the Acts:

Eve and Adam by Rich Orloff:

This act challenged the well-known creation story. In this story, Adam is created from Eve’s rib and God is portrayed by a woman. When God mentions that Eve needs a man to “be fruitful and multiply” with, Eve expresses her disdain for having a man control her daily moves. After a trip to the woods, Adam is punished for eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge. As a result, Eve is left to deal with “all that is Adam” forever.

The Mystery of the $6 by Casey Dressler:

This was a story about a group of friends’ retreat in which they must undergo a level of self-understanding that is rather rushed. After drinking a rather special tea, these friends become paranoid in the middle of nowhere. They discover that they each have their own flaws to work out, and that it will take time to do so.

From left to right Chrystepher Lopez, Janell Campbell, & Kayori Hanna. Photo Credit to RemiJin Camping.

This Is A Play by Daniel Maclvor:

This story followed the thoughts of three actors—a male and two females—who have a series of breaking sessions or blackouts. The act also presents the realities of how actors think and react during performances.

Poor Shem by Gregory Hischak:

This is a tragic story of a coworker who died at the hands of a copy machine. The executive ladies Kendel, Kyle, and Kaitlin all express different levels of emotions and sympathize differently with this news.

Last Minute Adjustment by Rich Orloff:

Just as in the film “Inside Out,” when all hands are on deck when dealing with emotions and feelings, the protagonist is given a soul and prepared to face the outside world. With a soul, the protagonist is able to experience love and overcome whatever troubles him. As an added plot twist, the soul is given to a baby in a womb.

This series of one-act plays was everything I expected it to be. There was a sense of chaos in each act as well as uniformity and relatability. It was clear to me that all actors were in sync with each other and knew what their roles demanded of them.

Still, I couldn’t have prepared for what I saw. This is one of those productions that was unique and I’m sure that each crowd reacted differently each time they saw it. Comedy places an indescribable sense of pressure on the actor rather than the plot itself. These actors came out unscathed and put on a truly wonderful performance. “A Night of Comedy” was a true success.