The independent theatre scene has received a real gift this year with the emergence of the Frigid New York Festival: a selection of 30 plays in the East Village in the month of March. These plays are alternative, under represented and finally getting some attention.

“We Call Her Benny” is certainly a stand out play in this innaugural year. The hour long play explores a woman’s relationship with her own identity and her own sexuality. The primary information we have about Anna is that she was adopted as a baby and suffers from bipolar disorder. Told through short, powerful scenes, we learn just enough to care about Anna, and to stand behind her in her difficult journey. As a teenaged girl, Anna (played by Anna Bridgeforth) is taken advantage of by an older man and rebels against her psychiatrist. As a married woman, Anna (now played by Anna Cody) confronts her inability to orgasm, her husband’s desire to engage in a group orgy, and her birth mother. All these scenes are beautifully written and superbly acted. With simple set and very little technical showiness, “We Call Her Benny” proves once and for all that a great script and talented actors are the ultimate recipe for excellent theatre.

All the actors are exceptional, shining in the light and dark moments of the script. Bridgeforth and Cody are both fully alive on stage, and are seamless in their portrayal of the lead character. The rest of the cast is vibrant as well, without a single weak link. Candice Owens is particuarly engaging as Anna’s quirky, disturbing birth mother. Scenes between Owens and Cody are the strongest in the show, balancing humor and tragedy with rare skill.

Every theme in “We Call Her Benny” is handled with delicacy, wit, and depth. Hopefully, Frigid New York Festival will act as a springboard for this piece and its cast and crew. With so much new material constantly arriving in the Manhattan scene, it can be hard to weed through all the options. “We Call Her Benny” is an easy choice, an honest, lovely piece that most certainly will win any audience member’s heart.