men make plans (and god laughs) by Jody Pleich. Presented by Pleich at the Poor Alex (296 Brunswick). Runs to September 22, Thursday-Sunday 7 pm. $10, $15 (includes Super Ed). 416-923-1644. Rating: NN Rating: NNNNN
creating an improvised comic show based on the lives of three audience members sounds like a cool idea, but Jody Pleich doesn’t do enough with the material.After picking three people from the audience — tough to do on Sunday, when there were only four people, not including the box office clerk — Pleich interviews them onstage, getting details about jobs and hobbies. He then proceeds to create scenes about their lives.
A big, friendly man, Pleich has a relaxed interviewing style and a pleasant stage presence. But his dramatic instincts fail him in the improvised scenes. He doesn’t give us enough details or exercise his imagination enough to create believable worlds. And couldn’t he make them intersect in an amusing fashion?
In the end, the show resembles those caricatures of people where the big-headed subjects hold fishing rods or play the piano to indicate their hobbies.
