The West Coast premiere of Under the Skin is presented by International City Theatre. Written by Michael Hollinger. Produced and directed by caryn desai [sic].
Suddenly, your absent father shows up at the door and asks for your kidney. Would you give it to him? Under the Skin delves into organ donation and the hilarious and difficult relationship between Raina (Allison Blaize) and her father Lou (Tony Abatemarco), who never attended any of her birthday parties when she was a kid. During his days as a player, Lou started an alternate family with Marlene (Tanya Alexander), who gave birth to his son Jarrell (Julian Smith).
Things get more complicated when Raina meets Jarrell and the two start a conversation. Secrets are revealed and relationships may not be what they seem to be. In the meantime, Lou’s kidney failure continue to progress and time is running out to save his life.
Michael Hollinger‘s writting is a combination of tragedy and comedy that is engaging and leaves the audience in a state of wonder as the scenes move forward. The health deterioration Lou experiences later in life forces him to face his own failures as a father and husband. At the same time, this character shows the complexities of life experiences and the power of human connections, whether filial or romantic. The character of Raina shows the lifelong impressions experienced in childhood and the emotional scars left as a result of bad parenting. All of these textures of human interactions are displayed in this play brilliantly.
Director caryn desai [sic] unifies love, compassion, and the power of blood in a cohesive and entertaining manner, building up the intrigue and disbelief throughout the play. Desai manages to lighten up the seriousness of organ donation and add a touch of comedy to the ordeal of waiting for a donor while attempting to fix broken relationships.
Under the Skin is a delightful story of redemption, love, and forgiveness. It is a story of rich characters and their unusual reactions when they get second chances in life.
Under the Skin
International City Theatre
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
330 East Seaside Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
Performances: April 28-May 14
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: May 4, May 11
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: April 28 (Opening Night), May 5, May 12
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 29, May 6, May 13
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: April 30, May 7, May 14
Tickets: ictlongbeach.org
Written by Michael Hollinger. Directed by caryn desai. Starring Tony Abatemarco, Tanya Alexander, Allison Blaize, and Julian Smith. Produced by caryn desai [sic]. Presented by International City Theatre.
Creative team: Set designer Timothy Mueller, lighting designer Donna Ruzika, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Dave Mickey, and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The production stage manager is John Freeland, Jr.
