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Regional Reviews: Philadelphia 99 Breakups
As a physical feat, 99 Breakups is impressive. That Pig Iron's technical crew and a cast of twenty are able to pull off precisely timed, interlocking scenes without a hitch, all the while ushering various groups of spectators into and out of performance spaces, is quite an achievement. But is the show any good? Well, a lot of it is. The individual scenes can be quite absorbing. But after a while even the best scenes get predictable. 99 Breakups is a show that looks great but doesn't have a lot to say. After entering the academy, spectators are divided into groups that move from room to room and floor to floor witnessing all the breakups. (Actually, I think I only saw a dozen, or maybe two dozen—I lost count after a while. But I doubt the title was meant to be taken literally.) As the tour progresses, the audience observes all sorts of breakups, and not just romantic ones. We see business partners split up, and we see a woman get fired. We even see a rock band dissolve one member at a time, its members storming offstage in the middle of a song. The highlight of 99 Breakups is a witty mini-play starring Sarah Sanford and Scott Sheppard as a longtime couple who have a series of restrained quarrels as they get ready for bed; they speak in a civil tone, but hold bullhorns to their mouths when they need to argue. They're an appealing, compatible couple—the only recognizably human characters in the whole evening—but in the scene's last 30 seconds, they suddenly break up. Why? Well, the show's title says they have to, silly. (I hope these characters reunite and get a whole show of their own.) If the rest of 99 Breakups were up to that scene's standard, it would be easy to recommend. But much of the show feels forced—from the stiff introductory speech by a "tour guide" who claims not to be an actor (even though he obviously is) to the repetitive choreographed routines. All of the scenes are interesting, and most are even cute. But while this show is remarkably inventive, in the end it feels shapeless and largely self-indulgent. Director Quinn Bauriedel should be commended for the herculean effort he and his crew undertook to pull this show off. (Breaking up really is hard to do.) I just wish the show had a lot more substance. 99 Breakups runs through September 16, 2014, and is presented by Pig Iron Theatre Company as part of the 2014 Fringe Festival at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118 North Broad Street, Philadelphia. Tickets are available at www.FringeArts.com.
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