Small Stage, Huge Emotion

Above all else, Samantha Smart’s performance in Sabrina M. Paterson’s “Monster,” is what not only makes the story a convincing one, but a compelling one as well.

The subject of rape is and always will be a difficult one to handle in theatre and any other medium for that matter. The topic of incest is even trickier to manage. This play, however, manages to treat both of these topics respectfully and engages the audience in what is ultimately a surreal drama powered by one woman’s portrayal of a tortured soul.

As a result, after the performance, it may be hard to shake the emotions this production induces. That alone is proof that Monster’s message is delivered loud and clear.

The main supporting cast of Kathleen Marsh, George C. Peck and Brian Edwards help to make the story thought provoking and consistent. All three do a fantastic job because they are so believable in their roles. Marsh’s portrayal of the delusional wife is that of a seasoned actress that knows how to emote. Peck is pure evil as the controlling father with a dark secret. While Edwards is the youngest of the three and did fumble on his lines at times, his apparent charisma and poise seeps through during his performance.

The rest of the supporting cast wasn’t quite as stellar though. Carrie Lynette Stringfellow and Tiffany Clifton aren’t as polished and at times, sound as if they are reading their lines, rather than acting them. Victory Chappotin added little in his role as Steve, the Orderly and was unable to carry Smart off the stage.

In spite of these weaker performances, the work of the main supporting cast and Smart’s amazing portrayal of Annie is what makes “Monster” stellar. At times, Smart is simply harrowing. It’s a far fetch to believe her character’s ailments, but by the end, she’ll have you in the palm of her hands. Simultaneously, scared, sexy and sensational, Smart’s performance is one of the best of the Planet Connections Theater Festivity.

Through this, “Monster” does more than raise awareness about these sensitive topics. Through these venerable performances, it becomes a production you’ll remember for quite some time.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 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.

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