But there is<\/em> some good news later, so please read on.<\/p>\n Kacie Rogers and Gary Rubenstein. Photo by Ed Krieger.<\/p><\/div>\n My dislike of Sequence<\/em> is more than just because the story (whatever<\/em> it is!,) is not my cup of tea. I doubt that it\u2019s anyone\u2019s<\/em>. And it\u2019s beyond a snoozefest. The play is only eighty-five minutes long, but felt more like eighty-five hours<\/em>!<\/p>\n Ninety-nine percent of the blame goes to the awful, amateurish, self-indulgent writing. (So, even though I love Canadians, I guess there are just some things they\u2019re not so good at. Or at least this<\/em> author isn\u2019t!) But I have to also fault the oh-so-boring direction and acting. I\u2019m leaving it at that. (Well, except to point-out that the older man actor said \u201casterik\u201d instead of the correct \u201casteris<\/em>k!\u201d That\u2019s a word I hate for anyone to mispronounce, almost as much as when people say \u201cnucu<\/em>lar\u201d for \u201cnucle<\/em>ar!!!!\u201d That\u2019s just about the only part of the show that got my attention.)<\/p>\n Actually, there are two good things about the show: 1) All four characters are dressed in black, white, and gray, which is somewhat interesting, (although perhaps only to me<\/em>.) 2) The green and black set, by Jeff G. Rack, is attractive, in a stark sort of way. But that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not even going to waste my time telling you anything about the story because there\u2019s nothing really to tell, except that it\u2019s two different stories going on at once in the same space. As if that\u2019s not confusing and annoying enough, it\u2019s supposed to be about science and math, so that should tell you something right there. But even science and math classes<\/em> never dragged on like this show does. (I heard someone describe the show beforehand as \u201ca bit of a mystery.\u201d And when it was over, I heard someone else quip that the mystery was why any theatre would choose to do it in the first place!)<\/p>\n Crash Buist and Maria Spassoff. Photo by Ed Krieger.<\/p><\/div>\n It begins very goonily, and goes downhill from there. I actually thought the opening bit was a mistake, like something had gone wrong backstage, and the actors were just free-forming some uncomfortable clowning-around movements, that no one was supposed to see.<\/p>\n So, I have a feeling that many of you will go see Sequence<\/em> now, just to see if I\u2019m correct. But bring a pillow and blanket because, if the opening night audience was any indication, you\u2019ll be getting some serious shuteye during it.<\/p>\n Okay, so here\u2019s the good news I mentioned before: This is Theatre 40\u2019s first play of this season, so the rest of the selections can only go up from here. (And the line-up of shows does look very interesting! I\u2019m really looking forward to most of them.)\u00a0 So if you have season tickets, I suggest just giving away the ones for Sequence<\/em> to some avant-garde pals.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be doing both<\/em> of you a favor!<\/p>\n Sequence<\/em>\u00a0running through August 20, 2017<\/strong> SEQUENCE Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills took a big chance on this weirdo play from Canada, and it did not pay off. It was quite a departure from their usual high-quality fare, so I applaud them for not resting on their laurels, and being willing to try something different at this late stage of their<\/p>\n![\"Kacie](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/SEQ_0022-copy-22-e1500818186339.jpg\")
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\n Theatre 40 \u00a0241 S. Moreno Drive \u00a0Beverly Hills \u00a0310-364-0535 \u00a0www.theatre40.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"