Read Dan Skora’s review of “Spin” at Theatre Nova, for It’s All Theatre
It’s no coincidence that playwright Emilio Rodriguez has one of his characters in his new play “Spin”, currently in production at Ann Arbor’s Theatre Nova, carrying around a copy of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”. There are similarities between George and Lennie, Steinbeck’s mismatched companions, and the two characters in Rodriguez’s play.
Angelo (José Martinez) is easy going and articulate. The poetry he writes indicates a sensitive and intelligent person with the ability to express his feelings in a creative way. Mila (Matthew Webb) is an in-your-face street kid, tough and short-tempered. Though he says he has trouble reading cursive, he may, in fact not be able to read at all. But Mila has his own talents as the Rubik’s Cube he toys with during the play will later reveal. There is a slight racial component to the play; Angelo is a Latino, Mila an African American-Latina mix.