"Just Another Day"

"Just Another Day" at Theater 555 was written by Dan Lauria and directed by off Broadway guru, Eric Krebs. The play begins with projections of old stars of yesteryear to the song "No Strings Attached". When the two actors take the stage, Dan Lauria and Patty McCormack seem confused... at-least Dan (Man) does. McCormack (Woman) seems refined in her salmon colored sun dress. Often appalled at Lauria's language, she seems distant to his behavior.

In this one hour and forty-five minute play, the two have several things in common... they both share a love for old movies, the New York Times Sunday cross word puzzle. Later we would find out that their love of art is due to McCormack being a writer and Lauria being a painter (he is not sure if he was a house painter or a canvass painter).

In Eric Krebs direction, the audience gets good banter, in Lauria's writing we get jokes that for the most part land pretty well. Although his body of work is fair, the way the play is laid out is fun, comfortable and easy to watch as these two really good actors talk about things that are relevant as well as insane. The insanity part comes to the forefront as in time we realize that they are both in a sanatorium. As time goes on the audience accepts their dementia and Lauria is deft in how the characters put forth the dialogue all throughout the play; insanity brought to sanity.

The costumes are regal on McCormack (Bettina Bierly); her salmon outfit is beautiful, even though it is subdued, In the second act he off white knit suit is classy, like her. In Lauria, he is dressed like a mans-man; a guy who was from Brooklyn, N.Y., a former Marine. In Andy Evan Cohen's sound, the bell that regulates the behavior of the two is front and center. The subtle echo effects too add to this play in that he gives it a bit of mystery in these two actors. It is the lighting that falters a bit here; Joan Racho-Jansen does not hit the characters the way it should have. The audience often cannot pick up the entire body of the characters , especially at the head level. This has the audience having difficulty seeing the actors up close and therefore we never get the personal feeling of the two when they are at their most deep in their feelings about life. The characters are older and they have a lot to say; even if it is silly what they talk about, the two are still interesting to listen to. Not being able to see them weakened the dialogue.

In this unique play, "Just Another Day" stay's focused on the characters life. It gently gives us the inner thoughts of the two, it also shows us how corky they have become in a very playful way. Are past movies escapism? Where the movies that big a part of their lives. Is their "hit list" something that they thought about when they were sane? The play skillfully omits a lot of questions that the audience may have. This is the type of play that can keep you thinking about it for a long time. We also have to ask... what were these people really like in their younger years?

In the one set, a comfortable park- type setting, the show glides through the dialogue by two actors who wow the audience with their style and verve.

Dan Lauria, Eric Krebs, Patty McCormack, Tony Awards, Broadway, off Broadway, www.broadwayworld.com, www.nimbusmagazine.org, Broadway Bob, "The Lion King", Alladin", Harry Potter", "Wicked".