Transatlantic Love Affar has another Fringe hit this year with These Old Shoes. I didn’t get a chance to see Ash Land last year (which is actually coming back in February), but I was so impressed with TLA’s production this year that I can easily believe every accolade it recived with Ash Land. The show flashes from present day and yesteryear with Jim at the center, the widowed veteran who’s moving out of his house into a “retirement community.” He reminisces about an old love who, because of the war, he couldn’t be with.
The thing I found myself so impressed with was the fluidity of the show, from the staging (with not a single prop on stage, the actors were the set, becoming a chair/elevator/turnstyle) to the rapid switch in time and place. What’s even more impressive is that there’s no confusion with what’s happening and when (and even though actors played several characters, there’s no confusion about who either).
The story may not be the most original story ever told, but it’s sweet and there’s a strong sense of nostalgia that permeates in just 50 minutes. I made it to the Music Box Theatre with just a few minutes to spare and I got one of the last seats in the house. I suggest reserving a seat for this show—TLA has done it again.
Read Jay Gabler’s review of These Old Shoes.
Coverage of issues and events affecting Central Corridor communities is funded in part by a grant from the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative.
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