As soon as my friend described David Stallings’ play, Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell, as “The L Word meets Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” the image stuck. Take out all the men from Gilligan's Island, add the aforementioned lesbians to the mix, and you have a dramatic comedy about love, waiting, death and being trapped on an island with historical women. The actors were well matched with the seven characters in the show, and the effort they put into their roles shined through. From the innocent and beautiful Andromede to the striking Queen Victoria and the suave Nin herself, the figures came out clever and compelling. For a play about woman, but written by a man, it tapped into the greater female psyche, which, by the way, was not stranded on this island.
Additional showtimes are Aug. 10 at 9:45, Aug. 17 at 7:15, Aug. 21 at 5:15 and Aug. 24 at 2:45 at The Connelly Theater, 220 East 4th St. (betw. Avenues A and B), $15. For information, visit www.fringenyc.org.
