Panic at the Riverside Motel – Location, Tickets, Reviews
A new play written by John Pastore, Panic at the Riverside Motel is a dark comedy.
Kaitlin and Jake, a couple engaged to be married, find themselves in over their heads after they start dealing cocaine to finance their extravagant wedding. When Panic at the Riverside Motel opens, the two stand over a dead body at a seedy motel — a client who committed suicide in front of them. The hysterical Kaitlin calls her criminally-experienced brother Billy to help them out of this mess, but when a nosy night manager and an incompetent police detective enter the scene, things only get more complicated.
Maxamoo
There is something fundamentally flawed with the structure of the narrative in this play, which starts and ends at seemingly random points. Several unresolved threads and the lack of exposition make the overall experience quite frustrating. It ended so abruptly that we thought there might be a another act coming.
Not just the story is flawed in this production, though; the direction doesn’t help. There is a constant sense of hysteria, communicated through shouting, high-pitched yelling, swearing, and unceasing confrontation, even when there’s no need for it. The only ray of sunshine on stage is Olivia Rose Barresi, who does a fine job as Kaitlin.
Public Opinion
It is a little unfair to assess public reaction by the performance we saw, since the freezing cold and foot of snow on the day of the performance probably left most people at home. According to the production, the first previews saw full houses, but there isn’t much buzz on social media or word-to-mouth.
Have you seen Panic at the Riverside Motel? What did you think? Comment below or tweet us at @Maxamoo.
Critics Reviews
None yet.
TICKETS
$26.50 (click here for tickets)
DATES
Performances through February 8, 2014
LOCATION
Stage IV Theatre, Roy Arias Studios
300 West 43rd Street, 4th Floor
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
1 hour 20 minutes, no intermission
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by John Pastore
Directed by Maria Riboli
Featuring Olivia Rose Baresi, Michael Orlandi, Thom Christensen, Tom Burka, Tom Cappandona