broken hearts, broken dreams

last friday i took in the second play in mcc theatre's subscription series, a very common procedure. a new play by courtney baron, avcp shatters the 4th wall and brings the audience into a whirlwind relationship between carolyn goldenhersch and her husband michael and the neo-natal specialist, dr. anil patel, who essentially killed their baby during "a very common procedure" after birth.

the play scoots between the past and the present, making great use of the stage and byways of the lucille lortel theater. each scene is sliced by interior and exterior monologues, with the other characters always on the fringe, observing or meditating on the words being delivered.

strong performances by all, but the standout here is stephen kunken as michael. his easy delivery and likeable quality radiates. his performance was filled with nuances that reminded me of every friend i've ever had. when he was speaking to the audience, i hardly remembered that this was a play. kunken was featured in last season's broadway flop, festen, a danish play that i absolutely adored. mcc continues to present great, great drama and i for one cannot wait for the next premiere - a neil labute play!

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a very common procedure
by courtney baron
directed by michael greif
starring lynn collins, stephen kunken, amir arison
lucille lortel theater
christopher street @ hudson street
through 3/10