Tammy: A Coming of Age Story About a Girl Who Is Part T-Rex
Written by Julia Weiss
Directed by Annaliese Toft
at The Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln (map)
thru Mar 24 | tickets: $7-$10 (BYOB) | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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LMAO!
Corn Productions presents
Tammy: A Coming of Age Story
About a Girl Who Is Part T-Rex
Review by Katy Walsh
I look back on my youth with relief. I survived it. Everything is a big deal. Nothing is easy. Someone is always judging… peers, teachers, parents. There is no escaping the public and personal scrutiny. Being a kid sucks. And to kick the misery up a notch, puberty arrives to make life more out of control.
Corn Productions presents world premiere of Tammy: A Coming of Age Story about a Girl Who Is Part T-Rex. Tammy is in middle school. She wants to be cool. She wants to have friends. She wants Cliff to like-like her. The problem is she’s different. Her only friend is Hope. And Cliff is one of the most popular kids in school.
Tammy isn’t the average preteen. She eats raw meat. She has a tail. And when she gets upset, she is muzzled for growling. Tammy is part *real girl* and part dinosaur. Tammy: A Coming of Age Story…has plenty of human heart and tyrannosaurus-size laughs.
Playwright Julia Weiss penned a hilarious story. The premise is clever. The smart dialog is pure adolescent slang and attitude. It’s the perfect blend of “Mean Girls” meets “Carrie” in “Jurassic Park.” Under the direction of Anneliese Toft, the talented ensemble double as black-clad stage hands. Toft paces scene transitions with stylized swirling movement. She speeds the action up or slows it down with zinging comedic timing. All the activity playfully showcases the Dino-girl. Weiss and Toft create an ambiance of *normal.* It’s just the average family-school-bullies being supportive-ignorant-abusive to a girl who is different. The regularity makes it hysterical! Alex Young (Tammy) is adorable! Squeaky voice and big eyed, Young captivates as the preteen-living-fossil. Her search for acceptance engages with multiple heartfelt “Awwwwwws” from the audience. Her sidekick Alisa Rosenthal (Hope) is the corny-joke telling geek. Young and Rosenthal are hysterical BFFs dreaming of high school and marriage. Playing an SNL-type character, Lindsay Bartlett (Mrs. Sanchez) is outstanding as a guidance counselor/adult ally. Bartlett clobbers the punch line with her unique outlook. Jackelyn Normand is just a petite beautiful bitch. Normand rules the school with two-faced cruelty. She evokes ongoing laughs and hate from the audience.
