by Alan Jozwiak
In the 80s, Trivial Pursuit was all the rage. This popular board game has even been revived into a show on the CW, hosted by LeVar Burton. There is something satisfying about knowing the answer that no one else at the table knows. You may never need to name the loudest animal in the world1 or the creature with the strongest bite2, but it still feels good to be right.
That desire to know things, both trivial and important, is at the heart of Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night, a new play by CCM theatre alumnus Alec Silberblatt, now being workshopped by Clifton Players.
The Action
It is the story of two trivia buffs–Marci (Denise Dal Vera) and Richie (Ryan Bowron)–that make up “The Monongahela Monsters,” named after one of three rivers in Pittsburgh3, where the play is set. Every Monday night they participate in a trivia game, and every Monday night they come in second place to a team they believe is cheating.
Complications ensue one night when Marci finds herself in a situation where she needs to make a life or death decision. The decision takes their usual game of trivia into a high stakes contest.
The Production
Director Kevin Crowley uses the first floor bar of the Liberty Exhibition Hall Lounge as the performing stage. There are a few barstools for the actors and the bulletin board announcing the Trivia Champ of the Week. The audience is facing the bar, making us feel we are part of the Monday night crowd. It feels like a place where pitchers of beer and cheese fries are the order of the day.
This play is a work in progress. A workshopped production is one where actors still have scripts in front of them (in this case, cell phones or tablets) because the play is still in development by the playwright.
Dal Vera and Bowron use their scripts only for certain scenes, having memorized the lion’s share of their lines. As a result, this allows both actors to deliver believable performances.
Dal Vera delivers a strong performance as Marci, the working-class woman struggling with alcohol use and with other demons connected to a man in a rusty pickup truck. She has several scenes where she is speaking for a long time and Dal Vera fully commits to those scenes to make them come alive.
Similarly Bowron delivers a solid performance as the often ineffective Richie. In Act II, when he confronts the man he accuses of cheating at the game, Bowron is fully in the moment breathing fire and throwing vitriol, unleashing years of frustration at this man.
The Play in Progress
Because this is a play still in development, there are areas that could be strengthened. Act I relies heavily on explanation, and at times it feels more talked about than acted out. The payoff in Act II is effective, but the buildup could be tightened.
The scenes involving the man in the pickup truck might benefit from being staged more directly, possibly by having Bowron take on that role or by adding another actor. Seeing those moments rather than hearing them described could add energy.
The ending also raises questions that may need further clarification as the script continues to evolve.
Overall, a Satisfying Evening
In short, while Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night is a work in progress, it satisfies audiences by giving an engaging evening of theatre. It reminds us that sometimes the most important questions–and answers–are not trivial.
The show runs about one hour for Act I and thirty-minutes for Act II, not including intermission.
Get Tickets to Silberblatt’s Trivia Night
Silberblatt’s Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night runs February 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, and March 1. Click here for tickets or purchase them at the door of the Lounge at Liberty Exhibition Hall.
Yes, the bar is open before the show and during intermission.
1 Sperm Whale
2Hippopotamus
3The Ohio and Allegheny Rivers
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LCT reviews are edited by Liz Eichler, Stage Insights Chair and Member of American Theatre Critics Association
