God's Ear

Christina Kirk is a tasty actress. I know that sounds weird, but her performances are so delicious and satisfying, and I just want to savor every bit of each one. In God's Ear, she shines as a grieving woman who is trying to decipher how to go on after losing a child. She leads a first-rate cast of actors who represent downtown theater at it's best - particularly Annie McNamara as a sexed-up alcoholic professional type who is about as neurotic as they come, and Matt Montelongo as a trannie flight attendant and a sprung-to-life G.I. Joe.

The signature element of God's Ear is Jenny Schwartz's stylized dialogue, which employs cliche and repetition to dig away at what lies beneath the mundacity of our daily lives. Schwartz doesn't provide an easy answer at what is lurking beneath it all, but the tone suggests that it's hopeful and ominous at once. It's a kooky, funny, sad, scary play, and though Schwartz's style feels feels just a touch heavy-handed throughout, the play succeeds at being eloquent, engaging, and massively affecting. Jenny Schwartz is definitely going to be one to watch, as many reviews have noted.