‘Prisoner’ captivates audiences

By Bill Greenwood

Alpha Psi Omega has provided Rider students with yet another reason to lock themselves inside the Yvonne Theater: Prisoner of 2nd Avenue. The play, which tickles the funny bone and tugs at the heartstrings, has a little something for everyone, making it well worth the $5 price of admission.

The show takes place in late-’60s New York during a massive economic depression. Mel (senior Arnaldo Ortiz) and his wife Edna (senior Rachel Messler) get caught up in the catastrophe when Mel loses his job and the couple’s apartment is robbed within the same week. He eventually suffers a nervous breakdown, triggering the return of his distant brothers and sisters, who end up bringing more problems to the table than they solve.

Prisoner of 2nd Avenue’s tone is abrasive throughout, with most dialogue consisting of screaming matches between two or more characters. This could have made for an unpleasant experience if not for the excellent cast. Each actor and actress was able to go beyond the anger, digging into his or her character’s emotional side while cracking up the audience with spot-on comedic timing.

Ortiz gave a hysterical performance as the 37-year-old, newly unemployed Mel. Whether yelling at Edna for leaving the door to their apartment open, having ice-cold water dumped on him after berating his neighbors or moping around the house while Edna prepares his lunch, Ortiz drew huge laughs from the crowd while expertly capturing his character’s high-strung nature. He also nailed Mel’s nervous breakdown, allowing his character to slowly descend into mania as the outside forces around him applied ever-increasing pressure.

Messler was the real stand-out, however, as Edna. Her pitch-perfect accent and zingy delivery gave her lines an added punch that had audience members shrieking with laughter. Furthermore, Edna’s love for and devotion to Mel during both good and bad times provided the play’s emotional anchor. Even in the midst of all the arguing and hard times, the audience was always aware of the couple’s powerful connection, making their constant battles much easier to swallow and even enjoy.

The play’s set captured the look and feel of the late 1960s, with three couches, a kitchen complete with an old-model refrigerator and counter, a liquor cabinet, a bookshelf stocked with various hardcovers and a back door that opened out onto Mel and Edna’s balcony. This door allowed for a variety of innovative sound techniques to come into play, drawing the audience deeper into the show’s world. Every time the door was opened, the theater was flooded with ambient street noises, illustrating Mel’s frequent complaints about the city’s sound level while adding realism to the production.

While Prisoner of 2nd Avenue is a success for both Alpha Psi Omega and the show’s cast, there were some minor hiccups in Wednesday’s opening-night performance. Several cast members tripped up on some of their lines, but were able to recover quickly and keep the dialogue moving naturally. This can probably be chalked up to opening-night jitters, however, and will most likely become a nonissue as the play’s run continues.

Prisoner of 2nd Avenue is yet another credit to an already outstanding school year for theater at Rider. The cast is superb, the set eye-catching but realistic and the script humorous yet touching. Mel may ache to find a way out of his big-city problems, but by the end of this show, Rider students will be clamoring for just a little more time inside this Prisoner’s world.