Observations of an Orchestrated Catastrophe

This is the invitation -- a kind of dare really -- that Jenny Magnus proffers...In these plays Magnus asks us to meet her intelligence her wit the naked soul of her unknowables with our own because in her work the question is the quest. Like Brecht she uses music text broad characters very few props. Her people are curious and smart and very funny. They are always out on a limb divulging something terribly embarrassing. They use a lot of words or very few. Metaphors are often over-the-top but particulars can be few. The fourth wall when its there is just a flimsy film -- which means the performers who take on these stories must be experienced high-flyers actors who know the consequences of working without a net. In Magnus stories characters have unexplained encounters that are so lively and absurd that it takes a moment to realize they are in pain. Theres just no rest for the lazy in these scripts. Here is the work of an artist as courageous as youll ever experience. Here is the work of an artist timeless and true. Relish it.--Achy Obejas