bad date

As in me.  Not him.

First of all I'm late.

This is not intentional.  I leave in plenty of time, but don't count on the bus being 15 minutes late and crawling across 79th Street.  I arrive about 10 minutes after Eric W., who is already at the bar waiting.  Two glasses of red wine are in front of him.  I like that he knows I prefer red to white even though I don't ever recall telling him.

The meal and conversation are excellent.  Eric is a witty conversationalist and an active listener. He's versed on many subjects, but also interested in what I have to say.  Soon after arriving it feels like it's time to leave.

Eric picks the restaurant; he does well. I pick the play; I fail miserably.

It's a one-man show called The Bullpen.  Reviews are outstanding. The actor, an ex-con, tells his story of being tried, and subsequently convicted of attempted murder and other tawdry charges. The critics love him.   

Hilarious one-man show full of heart and humility.

An extremely funny look at a dreadful situation.

Strap yourself in for a wild ride...at this insanely entertaining and thought-provoking one-man show.

Remarkable stage debut.

Brimming with keen wit and well-crafted dialogue

70 minutes. 2 Trials. 18 Characters. 

70 minutes feels like three hours. Eric and I are sitting in the front row of a half-filled small theater. I don't want to offend the actor, so I pretend to look engaged.  I can't understand half the characters the star is playing. Their broken-English is so broken I don't know what they're saying.  I also don't care. The story of the trial itself is not all that interesting told once, and in this short play, it is told twice — once as a mock trial and once as a real one.  It's a struggle to stay awake.  My leg is cramping. Did the critics see something else and mistake it for this play?

After the show Eric suggests going out for a drink.  I am so spent from sitting through this agonizingly bad play, I just want to go home.

So I arrive late. Recommend an awful play. Then turn down an after-dinner drink.  

Bad date?  That must be me.