BY ADAM KAMP | With one small, uncomfortable swivel chair on stage, and a glut of confidence, writer and performer Amie Enriquez creates a moving and deeply personal one-woman show at the SoHo Playhouse.
“Lightweight” tells Amie’s own story of recovery, self-reflection and ultimate triumph, while also managing to be an over-the-top, goofy and even shocking comedy. While some of the jokes or personalities that Amie inhabits can be nagging, they blend well in the end with the strong feeling of honest flaw-baring that Amie as a character and actress exhibit.
Initially, I worried that the show might struggle due to the difficulty of playing so many characters on such a simple stage. But Enriquez proved herself up to the challenge. Similar to some productions of “The Lehman Trilogy” in London, she let her expressiveness and tone — rather than many props or costumes — show who she was in the moment. These switches between characters were swift, and maintained the rapid pace Enriquez sets for herself with her first line.
Although many parts of the show are well-balanced, the narrative feels like it begins to meander toward the end, leading the audience through dream sequences, flashbacks and hallucinations (with puppets). Despite being hard to follow, these are some of the more emotionally honest, evocative or endearing scenes.
After shedding more than a few tears for this show — and jamming out to an acoustic cover of “Creep” — I can certainly say it made my night.
“Lightweight” opened at SoHo Playhouse, at 15 Vandam St., on July 19 and runs through Aug. 26. For more information and tickets, click here, call 212-691-1555 or e-mail boxoffice@sohoplayhouse.com.
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