The Gringo of the Deli Acapulco
UNDER St. Marks Theater
January 2007
June 2007
The Gringo of the Deli Acapulco premiered alongside The Bad Bruise of Billy MacBean as part of a double bill at UNDER St. Marks. After garnering audience acclaim and excellent reviews, the Old Kent Road Theater was invited to present Gringo at Theatre Row's WonderLand One-Act Festival, where it was named a Top-Ten play (out of a field of over fifty other plays). Reema Zaman also won a nomination for Wonderland Best Actress.
Gringo is a euphemism for outsiders. An insane tramp and a social worker fall instantly in love after locking eyes at an all-night deli in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This magical moment, as it turns out, is just that as something more supernatural is in play. The entrance of Olivia's sister's ghost and the sudden appearance of a revolver from under a tablecloth pull the lovers into a deadly contest where identity, mortality, and even objective reality are questioned and blurred.
CAST & CREW
Directed by: Noah Burger
Written by: Eric Bland
Scott Eckert as Lorenzo
Reema Zaman as Oliva
Graphic Art: Abernathy Bland
Graphic Design: Scott Eckert
Prop Design: Rachel Sorey
Technical Operator: Richard Jones
PRESS
"Wonderfully acted, impeccably directed and beautifully written," says New York Cool. "Bruise and Gringo is the kind of play that inspires us all to be better artists… downtown theatre at its best."
"Gringo makes an impression in a way theatre rarely does. It is the kind of play that should be recognized and the kind of production that makes one hope (and hope hard) that somehow more of the world will get to experience the ecstasy that is simple, basic, plain good theatre."
Click here for a link to New York Cool's full review.
The play "consistently holds our interest" says NYTheatre.com. "These are definitely artists to watch out for."
"Bland is going for a variation on magic realism, with the play simultaneously happening realistically and unrealistically and the dialogue shifting from a light-hearted banter to a much more naturalistic and serious tone as the story progresses. It consistently holds our interest… [Scott Eckert] is deftly comic and appealing as Lorenzo."
Click here for a link to NYTheatre's full review.
The Columbia Spectator says "The Gringo of Deli Acapulco is film noir with a sadistic, witty twist."
"[T]he play has refreshing structure, and a female character with brains and a spine. Murder and drama give this play strength and keep the audience entranced with lusty jousts, focusing again on the inexplicable reality that opposites attract."
Click here for a link to The Columbia Spectator's full review.
PHOTOS
