Spoilers ahoy!
Honestly, I have an issue with ten minute plays. They nearly always end up being clever little comedy sketches rather than...well, plays. Which is not a bad thing, but a good comedy sketch is tricky to pull over very well.
On the other hand, it can still be funny or at least enjoyable even without being perfect. Mostly such often need a cast who've been working together at sketch comedy for some time and preferably have worked together.
With that mini-rant out of the way, Inappropriate! consists of seven such sketches along a theme superbly described by the title. Fair is fair--some of the playwrights are friends of mine. Ditto some of the actors.
Curb Your Urges by Rom Watson uses a large cast to showcase an imaginary game show about how people give in to temptation even when offered truckloads of money just to refrain. Performed by Michael Caldwell, Alexis C. Martine, Jessica Dawdeswell, Jerry Weil, AnnaLisa Erickson, Ewan Chung, Beth Nintzel, David St. James, Debra Kay Lee, Dee Freeman, and Alex DeRita. A veritable cast of thousands for a ten minute! Fairly one note until the last contestant, but done will skill and energy. I smiled and laughed.
The Sub written and performed by Maura Swanson is a cutting piece of fierce satire/mockery aimed at the Maga crowd, essentially.
First Date by Beth Polsky is a funny little skit about flatulance. Charming and funny in a slightly gross way, the waiter at one point almost steals it. But it also ends on a weird little hopeful note, with Jerry Weil, Alexis C. Martina (Jessica Dawdeswell on June 11 & 17) and Michael Caldwell.
The Last Reading by Laura Huntt Foti is borderline shocking, which made it work very well indeed, save for the blend of camp which struck a very slightly wrong chord to my ear. A playwrighting group in the throws of disintegrating tries to keep in together when one member supplies pages of a wildly inappropriate piece. As in borderline criminal (as well as racist). Performed by Debra Kay Lee, David St. James, Ewan Chung, Beth Nintzel and AnnaLisa Erickson.
The Pharmacy by Laura Huntt Foti is built around a simple premise, a pharmacist with a judgemental attitude and no respect for anyone's privacy. It was entertaining but was also simply the same joke told several times. Performed by Dee Freeman, Rachael Sizgorich, Alex DeRita, and Michael Caldwell.
Bible Study, again written and performed by Maura Swanson, is a more nuanced critique of a different facet of conservative America. Scathing.
Howard's End by not E.M.Forster (that is what the program says) is about a eulogy service held by a man's brother, sister, and reluctantly attending nephew (who eventually enjoys the event very much) in which we learn the deceased was a letcherous no-talent jerk and pervert, whose "friends" use the event to push their own acting careers--save for one who takes the opportunity to share some genuine memories and play the accordian. That was my favorite part. Performed by Jerry Weil, Debra Kay Lee, Rachael Sizgorich, Michael Caldwell, Rachel Winfree, David St. James, and Alex DeRita.
As of this writing, there are two performances left at the Three Clubs, 1123 N VINE ST, Hollywood, CA 90038:
- Wednesday June 21 2023, 7:00 PM
- Friday June 23 2023, 9:00 PM
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