07.17.07
‘Ya know, kid sometimes ya wanna believe a lie so bad, you’ll keep repeating it till you think its the truth’
“Duplex” - written by Scott Brooks, Directed by Sam Viverito, playing at the Jewel Box Theater - 312 W. 36th St, 4th floor.
I had originally wanted to put a different quote from the play as this reviews headline, one a lot funnier, perhaps way more offensive and one revolving around rohypnol and cheerleaders. That is Mr. Brooks style - a verbal slap to the head that stings and makes you laugh at the same time.
He has taken the old ‘film-noir’ classic and given it a modern flavor, centered around a murder, diamonds, double crosses and that Maltese Falcon of current day NYC: Real Estate. This combined with his flair for snappy dialogue, delivered at a blistering pace made for an engrossing tale that ran its hour and a half and was over before I blinked.
Mr. Brooks crafts his characters carefully, revealing motivations for each as the scenes unfold, in a setting so intimate one feels a part of the drama, but never feeling overwhelmed by the constant twists and turns the narrative takes. I was particularly taken with the performances John DiBenedetto as Segio and Benim Foster in dual roles as Abe and Larry - both played classic New Yorker stereotypes to the hilt, to the point of believing that one could run into these characters on the street.
Aside from one or two technical glitches, the opening night went off without a hitch - and aside from one or two plot questions, Mr. Brooks has written a sharp, funny piece of theater that will keep you guessing until the last minute.
