Reviews of shows from the New York International Fringe Festival will appear on ArtsBeat through the festival’s close on Aug. 25. For more information, go to fringenyc.org.
Enough with the antidepressants already.
In Kristian O’Hare’s “Like Poetry,” a young man’s new doctor (Andrew Dawson) thinks his sadness and loneliness can be better treated with ginseng, kava kava, a mélange of other nutritional supplements, one Walt Whitman poem a day and frequent visits to the past.
Stagger (Robert Crozier) finds his life quickly changed by this new regimen. There is time travel (or just a series of flashback dreams), mostly childhood and adolescent encounters with his friend — and possible true love — Card (Matt Renskers). In between, Stagger gets to know his cute neighbor Trout (Jim deProphetis, the production’s comic standout); attends all-male parties at which guests have to remove their clothes at the door; reflects on the personal lives of insects; and is visited regularly by Whitman’s dapper ghost (Pat Dwyer).
This highly promising production, which concluded its run on Wednesday night, is beautifully structured, with an impressive blend of poignancy and humor, nicely distinct performances, and respectfully playful direction by Audrey Alford.
“Stagger’s New Shrink” might also have been a good title for this story, but that would have given Whitman short shrift and ignored the important contributions of bedbugs, preying mantises and foreplay-happy fireflies.