Theatre 68 and the Noho Arts Center present a wonderful play, “Connect,” written by Robert Lawrence Nelson and directed by Ronnie Marmo. It is essentially about matters of the lonely hearts’ affairs and the desperate need to connect whether in person or cyberspace. It features four excellent performers: Julie Dolan; Chad Addison; Perry Smith and Joe Dalo. “Connect” is a dual/parallel lives story, staged on a split set, the unraveling, then blossoming lives of two disparate/desperate individuals: Toby (Addison) and Samantha (Dolan). The two intercept through a series of phone sex calls, escalating to more intimate chats. Toby is a sensitive yet explosive young man, seething with arrested development. A simple knock on his door provokes a volatile “don’t come in, you whore.” Entering the scene is his mother (Perry), who we discover in back story that she abandoned him in a mangled car after an auto accident, leaving Toby physically and emotionally paralyzed for life. The lights dim on Toby, then shine on Samantha, as she picks up the phone with a tawdry, sultry voice so credible, it’s hard to believe she’s just acting. We learn that she and her husband (Dalo) have lost a child due to drowning, and the guilt factor is staggering. This story of two lost souls, in search of love and recognition, is sure to resonate with audiences so familiar with the world of online dating and beyond.
through March 13
noho arts 323 9605068
11136 Magnolia Blvd
