Freshmen give senior performances

Director Eric Traub’s production of “Can-Can,” written by Romulus Linney, tells the story of a group of strangers who meet under the most ordinary of circumstances but end up significantly impacting each other’s lives. The story showcases some fabulous acting including convincing southern and French accents from Kathleen Ryan and Caroline Slutsky, respectively. The narration shows the evolution of these characters’ relationships in a creative manner, with a mixture of monologues and evocative conversations.

Playwright David Ives’ “English Made Simple” strikes the perfect chord of hilarity and poignancy in a play about “meeting the love of your life.” Jake Tempchin plays the part of a pseudo-narrator and provides terrific comic relief. The two lovers, Jack (Nick Ellis) and Jill (Charmaine Lee), more than do justice to the witty banter and genuine emotion that makes this play so entertaining. “English Made Simple” will make you laugh just as much as it will make you contemplate more serious themes of fate and destiny.

“The Web,” written by Eugene O’Neill tells the story of a helpless woman, Rose, trapped in an inescapable situation. Amy Gopinath plays the part excellently, winning the audience’s hearts in a believable way. The plot, however, progresses too quickly and abruptly — and becomes much more complex and dramatic. The introduction of a fugitive romantic interest is confusing and random, but the actors do a good job with a very arbitrary and disconnected script.

The finale of these acts, “American Tropical” by Richard Ford, deals with the intense psychological consequences of murder on Evelyn (Olivia Nice) and her marriage. The play is almost entirely a monologue by Evelyn, which is a striking contrast to her cheerful character in “Illyria.” There is a blatant disparity between her and her husband, Sid (Jake Jackson), whose facade of normalcy keeps the audience wondering about all the emotions that he isn’t showing. While the actors do a good job, the script is often too abstract to be relatable.

This year’s OAF showcases some great talent in the Class of 2014 and is a great mix of funny and serious stories. So make your way to Theatre Intime this weekend — this creative collection of plays is definitely worth a trudge in the snow.