January 20, 2017 - February 11, 2017
by Annie Baker
directed by Michael O'Connell
Imago Theatre - 17 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Set in a run-down movie theater in central Massachusetts, home to one of the last 35 millimeter film projectors in the state, The Flick follows the hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking stories of three mismatched employees. As they pick up trash, bitch about their bosses, and critique the films that play at their ill-attended cineplex, the trio’s own funny and fraught dramas play out in the empty aisles. But unlike the films that flicker from the projection booth, these dramas have real-world consequences. With Baker’s finely-tuned ear for dialogue and her astute comic eye, The Flick is a laughter-filled cry for connection and authenticity.
Reviews
The thing is damned entertaining. Baker has a great sense of the emotional contours of her characters, even though they’re still a long way from figuring themselves out.
Oregon ArtsWatch
Capturing the tone of a shifting film industry is one of the play’s strong points, as is its examination of the cursory, friendship-lite interactions that develop when you’re working a crappy job for hours alongside someone you have nearly nothing in common with. The dynamics between Rose, Avery, and Sam are rich and strange.
Portland Mercury