RASPBERRY FIZZ review from Critical Rant

WaterTower’s Out of the Loop 2012: Three Winners

By Alexandra Bonifield ~ CriticalRant.com

Raspberry Fizz: Audacity Theatre Lab brings out Brad McEntire’s sweet little “short story” of a play about two mid 20^th century teen-agers on a stoop, learning to negotiate the tricky pathways of male/female attraction and communication, while a carnival barker interjects a darker level of commentary on life’s risks in a nearby fantasy reality. It’s charming to watch, directed handily by Andy Baldwin, and features regional favorites Jeff Swearingen, Natalie Young and Shane Beeson in its three roles with minor props or set elements. It feels like a work in the germinating stage, more of an appetizer than a full meal. Cleverly written and very well acted, you’ll finish wanting to know what happens next….

RATING: “Might see”, depending on what it’s paired with. Runs Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30pm, and Friday, March 8 at 8pm.

RASPBERRY FIZZ review that almost slipped by...

We just stumbled on one more great review of RASPBERRY FIZZ. Over on the Stage Directions Blog. Here's what it had to say...

Three Reviews From the Out of the Loop Fringe Festival.

A Most Happy Stella, Waking Up and Raspberry Fizz
by Christopher David Taylor ~ March 5, 2012 ~ Stage Directions Blog 

Raspberry Fizz, by Brad McEntire and directed by Andy Baldwin (who opened Lord of the Flies at Level Ground Arts on the same night) is a delightful piece of theatre, expertly acted by Jeff Swearingen, Natalie Young and Shane Beeson. 

The piece tells the story of a young boy and girl on the cusp of teen-hood, the boy wanting to ask the girl to a harvest dance. The Carnival Barker is there to create a sense of mystery and he continually recites a mantra designed to capture the interest of the young boy. Swearingen as Ellson hits all the right physical notes with his character; one would hardly believe he wasn’t a child based on his physicality. Young as Samantha is pitch perfect in her flat, midwestern accent that reminded me of something out of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man. Beeson’s Barker was a little more challenging. At times his patter came across as forced but it didn’t detract from the overall performance. The final moment of the piece, Swearingen and Young dancing slowly, was a nice end to the evening. Tension built up and released by the slightly childish dancing on the part of the two actors.

What was interesting for me in the double bill was the difference in the age of the performers. Grayman is made up of University students and Audacity Theatre Lab’s cast is decidedly not but the two groups in the same space within the same time frame created two distinctly different but complimentary pieces of theatre. Searching for love and purpose, belonging and a cold raspberry fizz.