Telling “Secrets” at Ixion
LANSING, Mich.–Bring a bunch of people into a room and give them a topic to discuss and you never know quite what you’re going to get in result. Do that with a group of writers and the results can be even more diverse.
It’s what Ixion has done with its latest production. A year ago, they tossed out the word “Secrets” to a group of writers and said, “go.” The result was more than 100 scripts that over the course of the year were narrowed down to the six stories that are being told this weekend and next at the Robins Theater in Lansing.
The six stories are all very different, though they share in common that they are on the quirky side. They’re each short and tell their stories quickly.
Paige Tufford directs an ensemble of six actors: Daniel Bonner, Jesse Frawley, Ben Guenther, Angharad McGauhey, Anna Raymo and Kathyrn Willis. The program didn’t say who played what role or in which sketch.
The first sketch, “Small Talk,” is a fun way to kick off the evening. Written by David MacGregor, it featureds a couple visiting a therapist because the woman of the couple was unable to make small talk and it was holding the man back in his career as a lawyer. The girlfriend did a wonderful job of showing her anxiety and shame; she set up the sketch so that the premise was high risk, making it much funnier as it played out. This sketch was one of the highlights; it flowed well and the dialog was crisp. It was a tight story and very focused, making it witty and interesting.
The second piece, “Honestly,” is about a couple that is breaking up after three months, and finally being honest with each other for the first time because they would never have to see each other again. Written by Steven Korbar, it’s sort of a bleak premise—that we always lie in our relationships. Their revelations are somewhat vanilla, making this sketch less than memorable, though enjoyable enough.
“Reunion” by David MacGregor is the weakest of the six sketches. It has its poignant moment at the end of the piece that makes it a worthwhile story, but it takes a long time to get there and doesn’t give a lot of reason to invest in the couple’s story.
“Blind Date” by Ron Frankel is a quick sketch about two people who are meeting up in real life for the first time after talking in an online chat room. It explores what is OK to tell or not tell and the assumptions we make about people. It works well and has a couple of clever twists.
“Riding Lessons” by Brett Hursey is a visually interesting sketch with a fair amount of quirkiness. It is well acted with each of the three actors committing to the archetype they are assigned. Two random strangers meet at a bench and one is carrying an invisible clown on his back. To his surprise, though, the woman, a nerdy book store employee can see his clown and displays a deep understanding of the relationship he has with it. Things get a little convoluted and it takes some thinking to figure out the moral to this sketch, but it has a great deal of charm.
Hursey’s “Pumps” is the final sketch of the evening and Ixion saves the best for last. It’s a high-energy sketch that is tightly written and puts the spotlight on a woman’s relationship with her high heels; she makes them a larger-than-life entity and her pacing is perfect. The husband is patient and understanding and the dialog between them is snappy and sweet. It’s a fun sketch and ends the evening on a high note.
“Secrets” is a collection of very diverse voices, and Ixion gives each story the opportunity to play out before an audience. Most aren’t stories that would stand alone, but together they make an evening of entertaining theater.