Where the Numbers End is a gritty view of Hell’s Kitchen
Listen to this articleThere was once a very rough place in a very tough town. It is located on the west side of Midtown Manhattan and they call it “Hell’s Kitchen.” Once home to the working poor, mainly of Irish decent it began to change in the 1970’s and today has been largely gentrified. Knowing this little bit of background helps set the stage for the play Where The Numbers End: A Hell’s Kitchen Love Tragedy.
It begins with a woman clutching and then reading from her book until she falls into death. Moving forward we discover that three women from Hell’s Kitchen are friends and neighbors and each has lost their mother due to some tragedy. In this show they have come together to celebrate the birthday of the woman whose mother dies to open the show.
What follows is an exposition of rough, gritty often profane humor and emotion. You are introduced to the harsh underbelly of the often glamorous Manhattan. The relationship the women have with men is far less than ideal and the deep stresses upon the women is constantly emphasized. But there is also a sense of poetry. One scene in particular one of the women describes in a very poetic way the vision of the sunrise over Hell’s Kitchen where concrete dominates and tall buildings block but also reflect the sun. It is an exposition of urban life.
It is a tough play packed with abundant humor, which as it often does flows from a river of personal pain. The play was written and directed by Amanda Moresco and is presented by a clearly talented group of actors in the cozy confines of the Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, California. Harsh language, some violence and sexual innuendo means leave the kids at home and come with an open mind and ability to experience one version of reality. It is also a fairly short one act show and odds are you will leave feeling it was time well spent.
Shows are every Saturday at 8:00 p.m. now through June 10th. Tickets are available at: brownpapertickets.com and further information is available by simply calling: 818-990-2324.
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Photos by James Sprague
Top photo: Alexandra Vino, Sofia Vasilieva and Elizabeth Regen
Ron Irwin was born in Chicago, Illinois a long time ago. He served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, became a trial lawyer, TV and radio host, CEO of a public company and once held an Emmy. He never won an Emmy he just held one. Ron has written and published twelve books. His most important book to date is “Live, Die, Live Again” in which Ron tells of his early life and his unexpected and very temporary death in 2012. That experience dramatically refocused his life and within the pages of that book Ron reveals how he achieved a much healthier life, ridding himself of Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Failure. Now Ron enjoys writing about many things including health topics, travel [he has circled the globe several times], adventure, culinary experiences and the world of performing art. Ron’s motto is “Live better, live longer and live stronger because it feels great and annoys others.” Contact the author.