Erika Scotti plays Sherri and Elizabeth Dimon is Roberta in Gablestage' "Admissions."
Joshua Hernandez plays Charlie, Tom Wahl is Bill, and Erikia Scotti plays Sherri in Gablestage's "Admissions" now playing at the theater inside the Hotel Biltmore in Coral Gables.
Life really isn't fair. Never has been. Never will be. So relax, young Charlie. As the old saying has it: you ain't changing nothing. And playwright Joshua Harmon is proving that nightly at GableStage with his latest effort, “Admissions”, in which Charlie misses out on Yale while his best friend, lesser talent, Perry, zooms right on into the ivied whatevers. Charlie is white, Perry is black. Uh oh.
And if that isn't annoying Charlie Luther Mason enough, his mother Sherri Rosen-Mason, is the diversity obsessed admissions officer at the lofty Hillcrest, New Hampshire's finest prep school. More color, show me the faces, it's the di-di-versity drag she croons night and day. Abetted, of course, by her Headmaster husband, take a cold shower, Charlie, stiffen that lip, Charlie, Bill Mason.
Sherri's best friend is Ginnie Peters. A white lady. Ginnie drinks a little, buys expensive cakes, and has a black husband, Don, who can't quite reach Bill's exalted heights in academia. And her son is Perry, he who aced Charlie out of Yale. Oops.
If there's no peace for Sherri in her living room there's even less for her at school when she has to deal with Roberta, who joined Hillcrest with the laying of the first brick and has to produce the school year books and brochures. Roberta just doesn't quite see the need of photos of smiling black, white, yellow and brown faces.
Left, Tom Wahl and Joshua Hernandez. Right, Hernadez and Scotti.
Erika Scotti plays Sherri for the full ninety minute running time as in she's never off stage. She's never less than fascinating as she balances her love for Charlie with the pragmatic brutality of Tom Wahl's heavy drinking Bill.
Joshua Hernandez, as the patrician eighteen year old Charlie is perfectly cast. His handling of his rejection, abhorrence of his parents' hypocrisy, and faith in his own ability to change the world is the stuff of a much more experienced actor.
Elizabeth Dimon brings subtle humor to her Roberta, the worker gaming her boss. Don't miss her exit from Sherry's office as she pulls on her winter clothing. Good, good stuff.
Erika Scotti and Barbara Sloan in GableStage's "Admissions."
Barbara Sloan's version of the apparently light hearted Ginny, a woman with secrets, even after a fifteen year bff with Sherri, is most moving; a dark revelation.
“Admissions” is a piece with striking monologues, viz Tom Wahl and Joshua Hernandez.
Joseph Adler directed and he and his brilliant cast have presented an engrossing evening of the eternal question: What's fair?
Answers? Anyone?
Lyle Baskin designed the wonderfully realistic set, school and home, monied all the way. Lighting by Steve Welsh, sound/music by Matt Corey, costumes by Ellis Tillman and props by Beth Fath. All simply the best, as always.
“Admissions” runs through Nov. 11 at GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables.
305-445-1119 www.gablestage.org
