Complete with wisened street bum and misguided college co-eds, "Striking Matches" could be easily mistaken for a staged merger of closet-favorite flicks Reality Bites and With Honors. But playwright Sara Heitler's, TC '96, original script gives its potentially stale, flippant plot welcomed dignity and depth; "Striking Matches" captures the essence of Yale as we know it. With complex personalities absorbed in true-to-college life situations, Heitler's play mirrors everyday campus life with a dramatic veracity that successfully blurs the line between reality and the stage.
The world of Heitler's characters is one of coffee dates at Durfee's, random party hook-ups, and hopelessly unproductive nights at CCL. Friendships and relationships are made and broken through the engagingly chaotic dialogue of co-ed floormates. Like us, they go through the typical motions of scamming at Naples and pulling exhaustive all-nighters. True to our own lives, their romantic entanglements and personal dramas reveal the dramatic value we overlook in our everyday situations. With their individual hang-ups and personalities, the students of "Striking Matches" possess enough familiarity to captivate even the most reluctant spectator.
As the men of "Room 704," Kip Pardue, JE '98, Josh Feigelson, SM '98, and Jody Steinglass, SY '99, bring intensity and dimension to their otherwise stereotypical characters. Pardue portrays the introverted, artistic Gabe Williams with an attractive coolness that is difficult to overlook. Plagued by personal doubts, Gabe's character demands an intriguing stoicism that Pardue delivers. Meanwhile, Feigelson charms us with his convincing portrayal of the idealistic philosophy major, for whom sharing a bathroom with female neighbors becomes a personal trauma. In his late-night conversations with God, Feigelson's Ben is the rational optimist who expresses the very hopes and fears hidden by each of us. As Everitt Marshall Tucker III, Steinglass is the loud-mouthed, athletic frat boy that every girl's mother warned her about. But in a convincing bout of drunkenness, Steinglass ennobles even this most pathetic excuse for a man. Together with Everitt, Gabe and Ben complete an unlikely trio of roommates whose friendship survives by admirable understanding and forgiveness.
As the women of "Room 703," Crissy Paraskevopoulos, SM '99, and Nancy Block, CC '99, are just as endearing as their male counterparts. Paraskevopoulos, whose Mara Levy teems with sincerity, gives the strongest performance. As Mara endures the consequences of personal tragedies and regrettable flings, Paraskevopoulos delivers moments of vacillating composure and despair with perpetual ease. The environmentally-conscious, liberal Mara is complemented by the conservative, goody-two-shoed Sally Stevens. With her romantic na•vetˇ, Block's character strikes a sympathetic chord with all women seeking emotional commitment in a relationship. In each woman's search for solace and acceptance, she reflects everyone's desire for stability and security amidst confusion and uncertainty.
But as this circle of friends crumbles under the weight of denial and deceit, it is the homeless Elijah whose wisdom frees them from their insular world of petty concerns. As Elijah, Jeremy Garelick, MC '98, spews forth scripture with the prophetic zeal of Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction. Garelick brings his half-delusioned character an unusual charisma that dignifies the lowly street bum.
Under the masterful direction of Elisa Korentayer, PC '96, "Striking Matches" displays the triumphs and tragedies which affect us all. We see ourselves upon a stage with characters whose identities are a part of our own. And just as they realize the strength of shared love and understanding, we find ourselves marveling at the friendships which make our own trials and tribulations all the more bearable.
Copyright 1996, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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