The Supporting Cast, Think Tank Theatre presents a Dinky Pflug Production, Orlando. Brown venue, 60 minutes, $8. (Note: This show is billed as 60 minutes but actually lasts about 45.)
Allan Forbes as Ben and Allison Piehl as Naomi in 'The Supporting Cast'
By Elizabeth Maupin
Elizabeth Maupin on Theater
Writer/director Jamie Cline has hit on a clever notion in The Supporting Cast — the idea that your friends can help guide you through the dating scene, if only given the chance. In this TV-sitcom-like comedy, a guy named Charlie (John Reid Adams) has found a way to lead his buddy Ben (Allan Forbes) toward success with the lovely Naomi (Allison Piehl), by snapping his fingers and actually freezing, fast-forwarding or rewinding Ben in action.
Good idea, and some of the plot points in this script are funny: Audience members (myself among them) actually groaned out loud in unison at one early performance when Ben suggested to Naomi that she might be interested in reading the poems he wrote as a boy.
But the friends’ real-life, non-video-related date coaching is a lot less funny, and a lot of the humor is sophomoric. As somebody who grew up 30 years before these folks, I have to say also that I got tired very quickly of all the binge drinking and the regressive sexual attitudes that demand that the man pays the bills and makes all the moves. It’s good to see young actors move beyond just acting, and it’ll be good when these folks leave their college days far behind.
Remaining shows:
Thursday May 26, 7:10 p.m.
Friday May 27, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday May 28, 7:45 p.m.
Elizabeth Maupin on Theater 
Sorry to say, but this was one of the shows that I wished I had cut out of my schedule. Good luck, in the future, to this theatre group.
Thank you for the well wishes Myron and also for the criticism Elizabeth. It’s good to know what does and doesn’t work in a new piece, and, more importantly, who your demographic is. Thanks again for coming, New Works are always a learning process and every thing helps!