Blogologues: Younger Than Springtime explores the joys of spring with uplifting and laugh-out-loud excerpts from the Internet. The short stories and one-line tweets are performed expertly, with perfect comic timing and dedication. Younger Than Springtime delves into spring blossoms that don’t smell quite right, a Jew on Easter, and many more uproarious and entertaining seasonal blog-o-logues.
The show was conceptualized by two Yale graduates, Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula, who have also starred in eight versions of this hit sensation. Nowadays, everyone from tweens to seniors are consumed by the Web. Goldberg, Jamula, and the rest of the creative team are capitalizing on this 21st-century reality, and quite successfully. They have been pounding the keys in search of material since August 2010. They developed the theater company Lively Productions, and subsequently mounted the first Blogologues in May 2011. Their work is catching the attention of the press, and it is no wonder. Lively Productions is taking performance to the next level; Blogologues combines live theater and ever-popular websites like Twitter, Texts from Last Night, various blogs and other Internet trends. The actors perform these ‘net novellas verbatim, making for a very honest and hilarious night at the theater.
By far the best advantage of the show is having fresh material to draw from. As long as there are people at home typing these twisted, side-splitting anecdotes, the well will never run dry, leaving the opportunity for an open-ended run of constantly evolving Blogologues. Each of the actors commits to these unique characters all the way, leaving the audience slack-jawed in shock and in stitches. Allison Goldberg, performer and co-creator, absolutely shines in this production. Her transformation from one interesting character to another is flawless and fluid. Goldberg’s acting chops and contagious energy also do not go unnoticed.
Blogologues is a novel idea conceived to promote the marriage between media and theater. In a world where even a New York minute isn’t fast enough, the Internet has taken over everything from mail to the printed word. Instead of fighting this growing epidemic, Lively Productions is embracing it. Blogologues: Younger Than Springtime showcases talented comedic actors and brilliant writers alike. However, it is the audience that profits the most from this exciting show. You will come away with a smile on your face.
Blogologues: Younger Than Springtime; Produced by Lively Productions; Conceived by Allison Goldberg & Jen Jamula; Compiled by Allison Goldberg, Jen Jamula, and Matthew Cox; Directed by David Hilder; The Players Loft; 115 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10012; livelyproductions.org
