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p l a y i n g
for t i m e
by
arthur miller
''Playing for Time.' The actors mime the playing. Time passes on the Theater Works stage without definition - the next day? The next week? Its lasting spell can be attributed to the bravura performance by Kim Crow.
Crow seems an open wound, a pulsating victim of her emotions. They flicker across her face - eating a small bit of food brings joy, ecstasy, then tears. Her rich, deep voice is connected to heart, not lungs. She breathes through her nose as if she were on fire. She walks like a petulant schoolboy. She stands in the frozen gaping idiocy of an imbecile. Her hands flicker over her shaven head in spastic waves. She leans, both accusing and pleading, into the face of another. She grimaces. She sings Puccini arias like the French cabaret singer she portrays - skilled, yes, but not a polished voice, possessing instead a raw emotional connection. She has so many emotions she seems to be feeling for the other person n the scene, channeling the entire experience of the Holocaust. Is it too much? It starts unwarranted by her surroundings and far outweighs the performances of the others, but it remains a commanding performance, one that rivets your attention and commands your respect...
The success of 'Playing for Time' rests on Kim Crow's shoulders ... the emotional impact is great.'
My pal Phyllis Lowitt coached me through 'Un Bel Di' for this wonderful production of Playing for Time. Meeting her, working with her and becoming close friends was one of the most warmest blessings of this blessed journey. With the terrific Teresa Turiano.
