When the mostly, white employees from a large Ad Agency, reveal their unconscious racism through slips of the tongue and gender micro-aggressions, the tensions build as aggressions move into overt racism and misogyny. Both African American and white women fight back. Hidden agendas, alliances and liaisons rise to the surface—in both fierce and fiercely funny ways.
Showpony
Reviews
Performances are quite good under the direction of Tom Ormeny, who does a superb job of overseeing the manic energy on display. Evan Bartoletti's set and Lauri Fitzsimmons' costumes are first-rate. Carol Doehring provides the rich and effective lighting schema. - RECOMMENDED
As a Black woman who worked in a white male-dominated environment (NASA/JPL) for most of my adult life, I can attest to this play's accuracy in depicting the tension that exists in an environment where the racial and gender hierarchy is on full display. Several scenes were so reminiscent of actual experiences I've had working at NASA/JPL that it seemed the writer had to have been there. This is a must-see play. Staged by long-time Victory Theatre partners Maria Gobetti and Tom Ormeny, “Show Pony” is an immensely pleasing, thought-provoking work of art, from Leora's multi-layered story to the uniformly superbly-acted roles to Ormeny's fast-moving staging to Evan Bartoletti's set, Carol Doehring's lighting, David Duarte's sound, and Lauri Fitzsimmons' stylish costumes. Don't miss it.
Judith Leora's Show Pony is a snappy, smart and deceptively subtle examination of hierarchical gender and racial relationships in the work place. The playwright places five women together in a board room to hash out the differences in management styles between a white-and-male-majority ad agency and an acquired African-American boutique. Just as with Nine to Five, playwright Leora presents us with a satisfying come-uppance that you've got to see. As Director Tom Ormany says, “Show Pony is about as current as you can get.”
The show's excellent technical elements — including Evan Bartoletti's set, Carol Doehring's lighting, David Duarte's sound and Lauri Fitzsimmons' stylishly glitzy costumes — provide the unobtrusive backdrop for a gem of a show. But the real standout is Ormeny's slam-bang, briskly calibrated staging. Ormeny melds his gifted performers into an impressively organic ensemble, a sort of extended family that is richly believable on every level. The actors' beautifully realized characters are workplace warriors who keep us entertained — and moved — as they struggle to win a rigged game.
The show was meant to be funny and it achieves that goal. But it also, in some interesting ways, addresses issues of sexism and racism. It does so in a manner that is interesting and informative but not preachy. Overall the entertainment value of Show Ponyis high and well worth your time.
...Their current offering, Showpony, written by Judith Leora, is no exception to my heartfelt praise. Directed with fun-loving EXCELLENCE by Tom Ormeny, this entire cast turns out MEMORABLY WORTHY performances!
The characters are real, purposeful and cleverly imagined. The actors fill them out with beautiful comic timing and a loving individuality that makes you want them all to be your best friends forever. The writing is very, very clever, but the conversations still feel natural, authentic and they actually go somewhere wonderfully genuine.
SHOWPONY is indeed a very original comedy that keeps its pace for today's domestic landscape, while showing the same respect that the changes of what's right and what isn't is making its grade. Kudos to the playwright and its on-stage cast to focus the attention on speaking for these matters without going too far (or deep) into what it's really all about. It's all presented with keeping things moving while focusing on the funny side! Those elements may be strange bedfellows, but it all works out to the final crowning point!
Judith Leora's wonderfully insightful play helps balance the gender-lopsided scales of corporate America and makes us hope for a big blue boost in November toward fairness and equality in both the world of business and in our long-hidden racist and chauvinistic society. Tom Ormeny and the ever-prolific, bravely cutting-edge Victory proves once again to be the quintessential choice to slickly and lovingly introduce this urgently topical new work and introduce us all to the promise of Leora.
World Premiere plays can be a tricky proposition often in need of further work-shopping. Not so Showpony, whose second act ties up Act One threads in the most unexpected and satisfying of ways. It will get you thinking. It will get you talking. It more than merits a visit to the Victory.
Performances are quite good under the direction of Tom Ormeny, who does a superb job of overseeing the manic energy on display. Evan Bartoletti's set and Lauri Fitzsimmons' costumes are first-rate. Carol Doehring provides the rich and effective lighting schema. - RECOMMENDED
As a Black woman who worked in a white male-dominated environment (NASA/JPL) for most of my adult life, I can attest to this play's accuracy in depicting the tension that exists in an environment where the racial and gender hierarchy is on full display. Several scenes were so reminiscent of actual experiences I've had working at NASA/JPL that it seemed the writer had to have been there. This is a must-see play. Staged by long-time Victory Theatre partners Maria Gobetti and Tom Ormeny, “Show Pony” is an immensely pleasing, thought-provoking work of art, from Leora's multi-layered story to the uniformly superbly-acted roles to Ormeny's fast-moving staging to Evan Bartoletti's set, Carol Doehring's lighting, David Duarte's sound, and Lauri Fitzsimmons' stylish costumes. Don't miss it.
Judith Leora's Show Pony is a snappy, smart and deceptively subtle examination of hierarchical gender and racial relationships in the work place. The playwright places five women together in a board room to hash out the differences in management styles between a white-and-male-majority ad agency and an acquired African-American boutique. Just as with Nine to Five, playwright Leora presents us with a satisfying come-uppance that you've got to see. As Director Tom Ormany says, “Show Pony is about as current as you can get.”
The show's excellent technical elements — including Evan Bartoletti's set, Carol Doehring's lighting, David Duarte's sound and Lauri Fitzsimmons' stylishly glitzy costumes — provide the unobtrusive backdrop for a gem of a show. But the real standout is Ormeny's slam-bang, briskly calibrated staging. Ormeny melds his gifted performers into an impressively organic ensemble, a sort of extended family that is richly believable on every level. The actors' beautifully realized characters are workplace warriors who keep us entertained — and moved — as they struggle to win a rigged game.
The show was meant to be funny and it achieves that goal. But it also, in some interesting ways, addresses issues of sexism and racism. It does so in a manner that is interesting and informative but not preachy. Overall the entertainment value of Show Ponyis high and well worth your time.
...Their current offering, Showpony, written by Judith Leora, is no exception to my heartfelt praise. Directed with fun-loving EXCELLENCE by Tom Ormeny, this entire cast turns out MEMORABLY WORTHY performances!
The characters are real, purposeful and cleverly imagined. The actors fill them out with beautiful comic timing and a loving individuality that makes you want them all to be your best friends forever. The writing is very, very clever, but the conversations still feel natural, authentic and they actually go somewhere wonderfully genuine.
SHOWPONY is indeed a very original comedy that keeps its pace for today's domestic landscape, while showing the same respect that the changes of what's right and what isn't is making its grade. Kudos to the playwright and its on-stage cast to focus the attention on speaking for these matters without going too far (or deep) into what it's really all about. It's all presented with keeping things moving while focusing on the funny side! Those elements may be strange bedfellows, but it all works out to the final crowning point!
Judith Leora's wonderfully insightful play helps balance the gender-lopsided scales of corporate America and makes us hope for a big blue boost in November toward fairness and equality in both the world of business and in our long-hidden racist and chauvinistic society. Tom Ormeny and the ever-prolific, bravely cutting-edge Victory proves once again to be the quintessential choice to slickly and lovingly introduce this urgently topical new work and introduce us all to the promise of Leora.
World Premiere plays can be a tricky proposition often in need of further work-shopping. Not so Showpony, whose second act ties up Act One threads in the most unexpected and satisfying of ways. It will get you thinking. It will get you talking. It more than merits a visit to the Victory.