Other People’s Problems
Sarah Quinn @ The Tuxedo Cat
5:00pm, Sat 14 Mar 2009
There’s no point denying that I’ve got a thing for Sarah Quinn – that, alone, would be enough to get my money out for this show. Just prior to seeing her show, I chatted with Sarah and DeAnne Smith and, as soon as Sarah departed to prep for the show, DeAnne grabbed me by the shoulder and said “Are you that guy with the blog?” Yes indeed, I replied, and your girlfriend is still a delight to behold. We giggled.
Other People’s Problems is a collection of three short plays focussing on “Issues”, with Quinn performing all three solo. The Smith-penned opener, “Your Life Starts Tomorrow”, is a faux-seminar presentation, chock full of wide-eyed and nervous enthusiasm, the quivering forced smile a façade for the woman on the edge. Samuel Booth’s “Self Help” is a quieter, more measured and moody little piece, with an oppressive sting in the tail. Quinn’s “Good Authority” was definitely the standout for me, though – nervous eyes and flirtatious soul, with Quinn conjuring an accent that fair gave me the horn.
There’s little in common between the three pieces, but Quinn manages to remain completely convincing – even if we are privy to her metamorphosis between each character as she switches costumes in full sight. It’s a real treat to see such variety in action, and – even discounting my primal inclinations towards Sarah – remains highly recommended.