A Wild Wedding Experience

Anyone that’s been to a wedding before knows that sometimes there’s more going on than meets the eye. Sure, a couple is getting married and devoting their lives to one another, but dozens of other people are behind the scenes [and sometimes not so behind the scenes] jockeying for position for everything for phone numbers to nightcaps.

Because of this, sometimes it’s more fun to people-watch at weddings than watch the actual engagement itself.

Put a play in the center of all this drama and ultimately, you have an engaging performance that never stops delivering the laughs.

Hilarious, insightful and intelligent, J.C. Svec’s “A Cordial Invitation” is one of the best-written productions at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity this year. Breaking the action into three parts, this performance, feels inspired by films and shows such as “In Living Color,” “Clerks” and “Bridesmaids.”

At first, there may be a bit of disconnect, as all three scenes are at different times, but ultimately the production is a fine example of what a solid sketch comedy performance should be- fast-paced, catchy and fun.

It’s a show that shouldn’t be missed.

That has a lot to do with the performers on stage.

While Edward Rosini and Lauren Friezo are only in two of the three scenes, their versatility is undeniable. From his Jim Carrey dance moves to David Hyde-Pierce mannerisms, Rosini is able to play everyone from the good guy to the con man. Beautiful and witty, Friezo is able to play a variety of roles as well and is simply entertaining. When together, they are a dynamic combination.

Nadia Brown and Rob Gelberg have a similar chemistry in their scene together too. However, the timbre of the scene feels taken from the reels of the film “Clerks” with Gelberg going on several enjoyable Kevin Smith-esque rants on “Casablanca.” At times gorgeous, and daring, at other times ditzy and lost, Brown is just as multi-faceted as her cast mates.

Even though Sarah Cuneo doesn’t star in any of the skits, her ability to deliver laughs is unquestionable. One scene has her as the weird and naïve Lisa Loeb-looking bridesmaid who tries to score a late-night rendezvous with a good-looking stranger. In another, she plays a cute waitress who wants to provide more than dinner. Like her cast mates, Cuneo’s ability to play diverse characters allows the performance to make the most of a group of actors and limited set.

With a charming script and talented actors that pull it off to near perfection, “A Cordial Invitation” doesn’t break any molds and for good reason- it doesn’t have to.

Solid sketch comedy is hard to find on the Off-Off Broadway scene, but this production, in spite of not breaking any rules along the way, is able to keep you smirking throughout.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

1 Comment

  1. Congratulations, J.C., on a great review of your current production, “A Cordial Invitation. “We are pleased to carry “Small Bites” and “Grand Slam” by J.C. Svec. His humorous insight provides opportunities for a great evening of entertainment. We welcome you to visit heartlandplays.com and enjoy free perusal reading of these plays with information on obtaining performance rights.

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