I’m an actor and I have actor friends. This means that I have seen, and quite frankly been a part of, A LOT of bad theater. Bad acting, bad directing, bad sets, bad writing. Bad, bad, bad. That being said, I’m obviously not easily impressed. So I went to see the first production of MTB Studio’s THEATRE UNPLUGGED with less than great expectations. The play is being presented at the MTB Acting Studio. It’s a small space with 3 rows of chairs, the equivalent of a black box theater but nicer. It’s simple with hard wood floors and black curtains surrounding it. There was no set, few props, and no lighting or sound effects. In fact, the house lights were up the entire time. We were up close and looking right into the actor’s eyes and they were looking back at us. There was nowhere to hide.

Thankfully, I didn’t feel the need to. It was brilliant and the actors held my rapt attention for the whole time I was there. (Keep in mind, that I am a person that can fall asleep anywhere and on this particular Sunday, I was a bit hungover.) The play, a satire about greedy politicians and little people coming together to save the day, is entirely relevant and I really enjoyed it. If you are a fan of acting, you should see this show because the acting was flawless. I looked hard for the weak link in the cast but I just couldn’t find it. I especially enjoyed the performance of Noelle McGrath who played the title character. She was simply delightful. I look forward to the next production from THEATRE UNPLUGGED.

This is the kind of theater that should be supported and celebrated. Seating is limited, so make your reservations in advance!