PRESS REVIEWS
TIME STEP
"Although all three men are skillful tappers, the essence of the show is the kind of wordless yet lucid physical comedy that offers theatrical communication of the most accessible kind... It’s a reminder of how eloquently the body can speak and of how little it takes to create entertainment."
Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times, November 9, 2008
CUT TO THE CHASE
December, 2007
“At the start of Parallel Exit's latest production, you may be reminded of 'Let's Make a Deal.' Three closed doors face the audience with enigmatic promise. But while the shows have other similarities -- crazy costumes, squealing and placards held aloft -- no one is asked to make a fateful choice among doors. At the end of this hour everyone goes home a winner. You have to see it -- and hear it. The performance, directed by Mark Lonergan, also includes bravura tap dancing, nifty magic tricks and speed-demon hat juggling. And never a need to cut to the chase.”
The New York Times
“Featuring enough slamming doors, pratfalls, songs, magic tricks, tap-dancing and slapstick to fuel a dozen shows, it provides hilarious fun for small-fry without boring the adults with them. It's all great wordless fun, punctuated by hilarious renditions of songs such as "Shine On, Harvest Moon" and "Temptation," in which the lovely harmonizing quickly turns awry. Under the direction of Mark Lonergan, the performers deliver their non-stop antics with the physical precision necessary for this seemingly spontaneous mayhem.”
The New York Post
“Four stars. To see the classic gags of writer, actor and pianist Joel Jeske’s scenario pulled off with crack precision and goofy aplomb by an expert cast under Mark Lonergan’s seamless direction is a pleasure in itself. None of the stereotypical showbiz characters (haughty diva, deadpan drummer, insufferably perky juvenile) miss a note, even as they hurl themselves headlong from one bit to the next (with nary a pause for breath), singing, tap-dancing, stealing kisses and, yes, chasing each other all over the stage.”
Time Out New York
“Critics’ pick. We could watch this hour of exquisitely choreographed, finely executed cartoonish comedy again and again—and so, we're guessing, could a recent 5-year-old audience member experiencing repeat attacks of the giggles. Conceived as a variety show come unglued—think doors slamming in cast members’ faces, piano seats collapsing, and the straight-man percussionist taking an ill-timed union break—it's one of those rare pieces of truly all-ages theater, a live Punch and Judy for the new vaudeville stage. Nab tickets for your crew now!”
New York Magazine
“Who needs words? Not these talented performers. Their precise, exaggerated-just-enough, clown-like interactions and pantomimed activities are a delight. The piece is presented by the troupe known as Parallel Exit and is put together by its Artistic Director, the creative lover/conductor/master/mastermind of a blend of classic and quirky comic fun and very physical theatre, Mark Lonergan. The seven players are highly skilled and tireless. Proudly inspired by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, they are experts at projecting the straight-faced ridiculousness of gawky or self-absorbed performers, as easily embodying the Everyman as the unique oddball. A throwback? You bet. Just throw your head back and laugh. I dare you not to.”
Edge New York
“Cut to the Chase, Parallel Exit's newest silent physical theatre entertainment, is blissful and funny—pure delight, perfect for the entire family. It leaves us wanting more, which is a rare and beautiful thing for this kind of show. It deserves to become a perennial holiday fixture at 59E59, or—with a bit of expansion—on Broadway. Director Mark Lonergan and writer/conceiver Joel Jeske have fashioned a high-energy, high-quality vaudeville that showcases the ample talents of their tiny company; there's enough slapstick and silliness to please the small fry and enough sophistication and acumen to ensure that grown-ups are constantly diverted as well, making this a well-nigh perfect family entertainment.”
nytheatre.com
“I sat enraptured by the performance CUT TO THE CHASE by the comedic theatrical group Parallel Exit. One hour packed with fun, frolic, merriment, and mirth. A great time was had by all. I want to applaud Laura Dillman, Mike Dobson, Joel Jeske, Juliet Jeske, Ryan Kasprzak, Andrea Kehler, and Derek Roland – a half dozen talented folks onstage in one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in some time. It brings back fond memories of the glory days of vaudeville. One of the things I most enjoyed about it was the presence of humanity in every moment of the show.”
WBAI
“The show, developed by Parallel Exit, a troupe specializing in physical comedy, mixes…rowdy pantomime punctuated by laughter and screams with a varied assortment of comic musical numbers. A high point is a synchronized tap trio danced by Roland, Kehler, and Kasprzak.”
Backstage
THIS WAY THAT WAY
“Every which way, an old-fashioned romp. It’s testimony to the prodigious talents of Joel Jeske and Ryan Kasprzak that they can get laughs simply by breathing. The clowning by Mr. Jeske and Mr. Kasprzak recalls that of another tramp, Charlie Chaplin. Placards announce scene changes, and part of the fun is watching the comedians switch clothes and gears in mere seconds. Their far-from-quiet breathing scene segues into a hilarious bit involving stomach growling, which proves that the actors are ventriloquists, too. They also dance, juggle, spin plates and play music; this may be the only show on the boards featuring a duet between a ukulele and a salt shaker.”
The New York Times
“While performances of vaudeville-era slapstick masters have been preserved in celluloid, we’ll never have the chance to see them live. Happily, limber Joel Jeske and Ryan Kasprzak are providing the next best thing: an onstage silent movie. The pair’s misadventures include a stop in a diner, resulting in some very fine juggling when they’re forced to wash the dishes, being tricked into a bank robbery followed by a chase worthy of the Marx Brothers, and eventually making it to their big audition, which doesn’t go quite as planned. In this age of computer-generated effects, it’s a wonder to see how much fun two guys, a few hats and a ukulele can create.”
Time Out New York
“In Depression-era America, a bespectacled pickpocket meets a rube with a talent for soft-shoe. Fast friends, they soon embark on a "New York or Bust" odyssey of purse snatching and card sharping. Together they face down fearsome dowagers, cruel talent bookers, and the impossibility of whistling while one's mouth is full of saltines. There's thrills and terror aplenty: Will they make it to the Big Apple? Will they avoid that pesky railroad dick? Jeske and Kasprzak impress with their dancing, cavorting, and card tricks—and Lonergan has twinned each gesture with a note from the accompanying score.”
Village Voice
“This Way That Way is physical theatre at its silliest. Bring the kids! They’ll love it – and you probably will, too. Starring Joel Jeske as This and Ryan Kasprzak as That, the 80-minute show, directed by Mark Lonergan, uses clowning, slapstick, juggling, card tricks, and wacky dancing to relate the farcical adventures of two con men on a cross-country trip. The success of the production rests solely on the highly imaginative use of very low-tech props and the skillful performances of two actor-clowns bringing to life a simple narrative based on an age-old theme.”
Backstage
“THIS WAY THAT WAY is a delight. What these guys have done, more or less, is to take two staple forms of early moviemaking – the Looney Tunes cartoon and the Mack Sennett silent short – and stretch them into an 80 minute narrative. A colossal achievement. THIS WAY THAT WAY is a grand entertainment for the whole family this holiday season, and deserves to come back again and again in seasons to come.”
The New York Theatre Experience
“Kids of all ages will delight in the antics currently taking place in Theatre B at 59e59 Theaters where This Way That Way opened over the weekend. Inspired by such duos as Laurel and Hardy, Joel Jeske and Ryan Kasprzak have created a breezy…rags-to-almost-riches silent adventure, where physical buffoonery is the order of the day.”
American Theater Web
POWERHOUSE
“Vivacious, funny, touching, and enormously entertaining, Powerhouse is music-theatre dynamite. Smart without being cynical and wise without being world-weary, they give us a New York for the perpetually adventurous – a place that can be the fulfillment of every young dreamer’s aspirations. Theatre this beautiful, affirming, and genre-defying is essential: there simply has to be a home for Powerhouse in New York.”
The New York Theatre Experience
VELOCITY
In New York:
“Velocity, a likable new-vaudeville trio from New York City composed of Scott Ardizzone, Brian Torrell and John Socas, ended the program to shouts of audience laughter.”
The New York Times
“Lonergan – who created the play with performers Scott Ardizzone, John Socas and Brian Torrell – has taken the manic, pulsing energy seen every rush hour on the sidewalks of Wall Street and midtown, crossed it with routines and gags handed down from Vaudeville and silent film, and come up with the gentlest of satires of urban life. Brief and breezy, witty and lighthearted, it’s as ideal a summer entertainment as a theatergoer could hope for.”
Time Out New York
“A quotidian comic ballet. Directed with panache by Mark Lonergan, the cast is adept at both Chaplinesque pratfalls and plain old gymnastics. Here’s a happy instance where more would very likely amount to more.”
Village Voice
“You will have the time of your lives – guaranteed! An unparalleled achievement in kinesthetic comedy. Three amazingly adroit physical clowns, Scott Ardizzone, John Socas, and Brian Torrell, dressed as corporate look-alikes, conjure a madcap adventure out of an ordinary day at the office.”
Backstage
“The three performers are all supremely talented and their work together is flawless. Whether juggling briefcases around each other, or back-flipping over one another, they are in constant, varied, and frenzied motion. Under the sharp direction of Mark Lonergan, these guys make VELOCITY a very exciting and terribly amusing piece.”
Show Business Weekly
In the UK:
“Four Stars. What do you get if you cross the manic silent energy of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton with the mute discipline of the nine-to-fiver? In Mark Lonergan’s remarkable show, the answer is a trio of black-suited New York office workers who can find musical comedy in a stapler. Highly unusual and immensely refreshing.”
Metro
“Four Stars. Combining slick choreography with wonderfully silly humor, all set to a backdrop of feel-good Big Band classics, Velocity was a veritable treat to behold. Never has a day at the office been more entertaining, nor after work drinks more musical. All in all, definitely worth adding to your diary.”
EdinburghGuide.com
“Inspired by the urban romantic comedies of forties and fifties Hollywood, this show contains moments of genius, especially an unusual rendition of New York, New York.”
The Herald
In Toronto:
“A savvy bit of theatrical playfulness. An unpretentious little gem.”
EYE Weekly
“Four stars. VELOCITY is a cross between a silent film and a cardio workout for its cast of three, whose synchronized, rhythmic work touches on both the competitive rat-race of the business world and moments of The Three Stooges.”
NOW Magazine
WHITE/NOISE/JUMP
In New York:
“The acting is convincing, the writing tight and clean, with imagery that doesn’t browbeat but simply shows you what deep loneliness looks like. When the show’s over and the lights come up, it’s a bit disorienting; willing suspension of disbelief is not something you can snap out of all of a sudden. If this were a movie, it would be one at which people stay and read the credits at the end while they wait for the lingering emotional effect to abate.”
LIVE Magazine
“Particularly in the context of performance art, the text by Todd Hammond and Mark Lonergan is exemplary. Mr. Hammond’s direction is consumer for maintaining the fever pitch of this poor guy’s life; he shows that minimal props are no barrier to achieving striking images.”
Attitude Magazine
“The three appealing actor/dancers in the cast invest it with the simplicity and grace of a modern folk tale.”
Newsday
In Toronto:
“The play, about a young man’s fall from grace and subsequent 90’s-style alienation in the urban world, combines dark subject matter with engaging physical humour, to poignant effect.”
The Globe and Mail
“‘White/Noise/Jump’ reeks of intelligence, not only in its take on joblessness in the 90’s, but in its theatricality - it deftly incorporates visual, aural and performance elements to serve the story. One of this year’s best bets.”
EYE Weekly
“Much joy comes from the frenzy of the acting in short, sharp scenes that benefit from bustling business and stylized movement. Even scene changes are done at a dizzying pace.”
Toronto Star
“In this stylish little number - directed with a nice light touch by Hammond - the company’s rat-a-tat pacing, stripped-down dialogue, bustling dance-inspired movement and clever collage soundscape find a focus around a well-worn but universally resonant tale.”
NOW Magazine
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