The journey of life has its ups and downs, with each stage revealing new insights as challenges are met, strengths revealed, and skills developed. Esther de Monteflores brings an amazing gift for ignoring gravity while subtly delivering a nuanced performance in four dimensions.
Narratively played out while Monteflores emotes the convolutions of each life stage, the recorded cast does a sterling job of moving the audience through the ages. Mixing tone, gender, age and range, the five narrators (Joanna Gaskell, Harrison Houde, Andrew Senay, Christine Bortolin and Sue Sparlin) smoothly guide the journey of life.
“In Search of Cruise Control” starts with James Gangl showing up and reading to us birthday cards his mother has sent him. The relationship with the audience continues as he acknowledges his tripping up in some of the script and the silliness of his staged actions to resemble a conversation. This breaking down of the wall between the audience and the play invites us into Gangl’s life. As the play progresses it feels like we could have been at a support group meeting and we are hearing the story of one man’s journey of understanding...
When I write a review for the Fringe, I like to go in cold. I try to know as little as possible about the work I am about to see. I like to be surprised when the actor or actors walk on stage (or run) and start to tell me the story. I love that moment when you don't know what it about to happen and, as the performance unfolds, you get a sense that you have missed out on something. That happened to me when the Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Project started.
