Good Theater Vibes On A Murky Night At Stony Brook Southampton

One skit was so ridiculously funny that it was worthy of “Saturday Night Live.”

Another tackled a subject that even the most open-minded of talkative friends avoid.

A third had a surprise pop of an ending.

There were others.

“A Night of Short Scenes” was just that on Tuesday, December 9, at Stony Brook Southampton—nine in all, produced by a MFA candidate at the college, Stan Cohen, who also wrote four of them. We’re not talking a full production of short scenes. These had minimal sets—a table, a stand, a few chairs—modest costume changes and the actors read straight from the scripts on stage.

Well, “on stage” isn’t quite right. The scenes were performed in the Radio Lounge on campus, furnished largely with 40 comfy chairs and couches, so watching them was like having your friends over, performing in your living room.

Trouble was, the performance fell on the night of the huge nor’easter that blew across the island and, unfortunately, only a few braved the dark night and deep puddles to venture out. Intimate it was.

The idea was to give the students, who are working toward their MFA in Theatre, a chance to write and direct, and work with local actors. On the East End, that talent pool is pretty impressive, and they turned quick scenes into an entertaining evening.

A few of the actors have been seen multiple times on local stages this past year. Joe Pallister, fresh from his powerful rendition of Bob Ewell, the redneck racist in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, appeared in four of the nine scenes, acting out everybody from a stoner in favor of legalizing marijuana in “The Great Debate” by Mr. Cohen to a straight—or possibly not—airline reservation agent fending off a come-on from a gay passenger in “Last Call for Flight 42” by Guy Glass, which was absolutely absurd and downright hilarious.

Andrew Botsford, seen recently in Hampton Theatre Company’s “God of Carnage” in Quogue, was the man putting the moves on Mr. Pallister. Even as they sometimes read from a single script, the pair was delicious as the misinterpretation of one comment after another piled on.

“Coming Home,” also written by Mr. Glass, took on a tough subject that can destroy friendships in a single conversation—the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A Jewish aunt, acted by Ann Marie Pallister with pitch-perfect accent, welcomes her niece, portrayed by Carolann Di Pirro, who recently returned from Israel.

But not really, as it turns out.

The niece had actually been in Palestine working with the refugees. Short and swift, “Coming Home” ably captured the essence of the conflict. Have you talked about this issue with all your friends lately? Not I.

“Blind Love” by Mateus Ciucc was another standout. Mr. Botsford portrayed a blind father talking to his daughter, acted by Frances Sherman, after her mother’s funeral. The actors’ interpretations of the roles were powerful enough to turn the single scene into a poignant moment.

As Ms. Sherman is cleaning up after the reception at home, the two dissect the huge break in the daughter’s relationship with her mother—though the audience doesn’t know what it was about until Mr. Botsford’s last words: “My boy, you’ve grown into a beautiful woman.”

Other actors included Rachel Feldman and Mr. Cohen, who had to take over numerous parts at the last minute because the scheduled actor got a paying acting gig. Mr. Cohen performed with good nature and aplomb.

Though the night outside was murky, the vibrations inside the Radio Lounge were anything but.