The Culture Project
presents
INDEX TO IDIOMS
Written and Performed by DEB MARGOLIN
The Culture Project, 45 Bleecker St., NYC
March 31 – April 24, 2005
Directed by MERRI ANN MILWE
Lighting and Video Design DAVID SZLASA
Movement Consultant STORMY BRANDENBERGER
Production Stage Manager MATTHEW D. BRITT
Press Representative JIM BALDASSARE
Your child comes home from school with a list of idioms. Perhaps you sit down with your son or daughter, reviewing the list, and assisting your child in learning the meaning behind phrases such as "bite the dust" and "face the music." If you are Deb Margolin, you use the list as a framework to tell the story of your life, or parts of it, in about seventy-five minutes. If you are Deb Margolin, you create an INDEX TO IDIOMS that you will share with the world.
Margolin’s INDEX is a compilation of mostly humorous tales of dating, parenthood, jobs and social status, but she throws in some serious topics too. Really more a staged storytelling than the typical one-person play, INDEX TO IDIOMS succeeds due to Ms. Margolin’s sense of story on the page and ability to translate her sentiments on the stage. Aided by visuals, lighting, and paced direction, the overall effect is inviting.
INDEX TO IDIOMS may be drawn from Deb Margolin’s experiences, but she has found ways to make her journeys feel universal, tapping into the details that allow her tales to resonate beyond herself. As a result, the audience is engrossed rather easily and even willingly. Recommended.
- Kessa De Santis -