First review in!

Program : Gerri Garner's Entertainment File

Kaleidascope Radio Magazine Stations KCLA, KLAS, KPRO-AM, KMAX-AM
Air date: Sunday, June 21, 2009

"Ten Cent Night” CRITIC’S PICK

Marisa Wegrzyn's play, "Ten Cent Night," has just opened at the Victory Theatre Center in Burbank. It certainly has incredible plot points. There is mistaken identity, with some incestuous yearnings, and the aging hooker with all the keys to the Finley family’s problems.
The family consists of two sets of fraternal twins. They have languished in the shadow of their father, a blues musician, and song writer. These 4 have been left with broken dreams, and his legacy only haunts them. Hewitt Finley put a gun to his head and blew his brains out.
Set in 1973, "Ten Cent Night" is a down home piece of Texas gothic.

First we encounter Roby, the adult daughter (Tara Buck), a musician boozing her way through a lousy Monday night gig in a run down joint in New Orleans. She hates to be compared with her Dad. She meets a stranger, who can hear, but doesn't speak. He is Danny Doucet (Martin Papazian), who lets her live in his room above the gin joint she works in. She gets a letter from her younger sister telling her she needs money for an operation as she is very sick. Roby, always in trouble, breaks away from being incarcerated with a folding chair still attached to her arm. Danny who is a money runner has his huge stash dumped into Roby's guitar case, and she is off to Texas. She makes it home to learn of Daddy's demise. Worst is that they were not left the rights to his royalties on his hit song "Ten Cent Night".

Wegrzyn's story focuses on these four lost siblings. The older pair, Roby and Dee (outstanding Caitlin Muelder) are radical opposites, with Dee just as resentful, and feeling trapped as Roby is a wildcat drifter. The younger kids are 16, the sweet Alison Rood is the ill Sadie, and Shane Zwiner gives a touching portrait of Holt. There isn't a dry eye in the theater when Holt tells his sister, "if I could I would give you my heart."

Maria Gobetti's production is tight and perfectly cast. The story grabs you, and is well played out on Gary Randall's wonderful set. "Ten Cent Night" could be made into a film as its story line is so strong, and visual.

"Ten Cent Night" is definitely our critics pick, don't miss it!

"Ten Cent Night," playing at the Victory Theatre located at 3326 West Victory Blvd., in Burbank, plays Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 4. For tickets please call 818-841-5421 or on line at www.victorytheatrecenter.org