[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Mafia Anonymous: The Women Speak, a one-woman comedy and drama written and performed by PINA.
Solo shows are notoriously tricky. Making a show entirely about yourself could seem a little, well, nuts. Or at the very least, hugely narcissistic. But done well, with the right actor and a good story, solo shows can beat just about every other theatrical genre with a stick.
This solo play is not your usual story. A woman hosts an anonymous and highly secret support group for women affected in some way by the mafia life. Daughters, wives, girlfriends and spouses of men who are either totally submerged or tiptoeing around the edges of mob-dom. What connects them all is that they are survivors and unwilling collaborators in a world where few live long and most live violently.
Mafia Anonymous is presented as a meeting, a first for some, a routine for others. Each participant has their own urgent burden to unfold, and the entire event is led by a somewhat frustrated and probably justifiably paranoid master of ceremonies. It’s a comic, if strangely believable homage to those women who like the money but not the life. And some, of course, who have no choice in either.
It’s cleverly told, with a scattering of characters in various levels of pain, recovery or denial. It’s a really interesting show. Honest and funny and very much from the heart. One gets the distinct feeling that what we are a witness to is something darkly true. You never can tell with solo work. It’s a fascinating genre and a favorite of mine. Taking an intimate peak into another persons mind can so easily become addictive. As long as the moments are compelling and the storytelling fierce it’s always a yes for me!
Mafia Anonymous was performed as part of the Santa Monica Playhouse Binge Fringe fest.
The Team
Writer/performer PINA. https://itspina.com/
Solo coach and producer: Jessica Lynn Johnson
Director consultants: Gita Farid, Ilana Lydia.
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