March 27, 2015 - April 18, 2015
by Amy Herzog
directed by Philip Cuomo
CoHo Theater - 2257 NW Raleigh St, Portland, OR 97210
Abby and Zack are newlyweds subletting an apartment in the Belleville area of Paris. She’s a yoga instructor and he’s a physician with Doctors Without Borders. Their life is idyllic, if not especially noteworthy. That is until Abby walks in on Zack with his pants literally around his ankles. As she starts pulling at little threads having to do with how Zack spends his day, Belleville builds toward a climax that asks if we can ever truly know another person. This sexy, funny, scary, and tense pseudo-thriller from one of America’s hottest new playwrights will unnerve as quickly as it entertains.
Reviews
I emerged from the theatre as speechless as Alouine and Amina…With Belleville, Herzog efficiently taps primal fear, and Lamb and Lingafelter bring it home. Quite. Literally.
Portland Monthly
Lingafelter and Lamb, as anticipated, give lively, liquid performances – it’s a matchup that should have local theater fans drooling – and Philip Cuomo directs them with a quick sure rhythm, neatly gliding through the play’s sharp corners.
Oregon ArtsWatch
Belleville finds ways to jump its tracks over and over, each twist and turn as surprising and compelling as the last…The way Herzog doles out information about these characters is pointed and deliberate, revealing just enough to keep the screw turning, and there’s a threatening edge to the chemistry between Abby and Zack. This subtlety is demanding, and director Philip Cuomo matches it.
Portland Mercury