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SingleVille

written by Mary McCallum directed by Barry Scott

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Featuring: Molly Breen, Mary McCallum & Tamiko Robinson

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SingleVille is an exploration of the lives of three women striving to navigate through the thicket of love, singlehood and survival

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Review: August 30th, 2012

Martin Brady, Nashville Scene

Mary McCallum's SingleVille has been performed once monthly at The Next Level on Charlotte for many months now, and the show recently returned from a gig at the D.C. Black Theatre Festival, where it was singled out as best one-act play.

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After catching the play last weekend, it's easy to see why SingleVille snagged the honor. McCallum and co-stars Tamiko Robinson and Molly Breen were clearly in sync, deftly handling the humorous and at times sardonic script, which might be described as a not-too-distant relative of Sex and the City.

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Three ladies take their places downstage, opining on the savage state of modern relationships and the difficulties of connecting emotionally and otherwise with men. From there, they spin off into illustrative scenes in which males are depicted as generally mysterious (or often, simply obtuse). Women don't fare all that well either, with some sketches frankly admitting to the negative outcomes related to females' competitive natures and obsession with appearances.

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But one thing that separates the characters and dialogue from Carrie Bradshaw & Co. is a lack of pretension. McCallum's ladies certainly have their frustrations — with advancing age or receding looks or their dwindling chances at anything that looks at least halfway like love. Yet their personalities and sisterhood seem genuine, so we not only can chuckle at their predicaments but also cheer them on as they strive for wholeness.

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McCallum's revue-like material, directed by Barry Scott, offers roughly 70 minutes of well-paced mini-episodes that reflect modern romance (or the lack thereof), with pertinent references to social media and even a scene based on the shamelessly dour TV show Cheaters.