[sic]

by Melissa James Gibson

In adjacent apartments that resemble nothing so much as broom closets with windows, the three young, ambitious neighbors of Melissa James Gibson's [sic] come together to discuss, flirt, argue, share their dreams, and plan their futures with unequal degrees of deep hopefulness and abject despair, all the while pushing the limits of their friendship to the max and demonstrating that language can be both an instrument of intimacy and a weapon of defense. Theo is a composer trying to create a heroic theme for an amusement park ride called the Thrill-o-Rama; Babette is a writer who is trying to finish--or even start--a book theorizing that temper tantrums are the major motivating force behind historical events; and Frank is a would-be auctioneer, preparing for his future career by constantly practicing such tongue twisters as "Sally sought some seeds to sow but sadly soon it snowed." By exploring these questing lives in language that alternates between exhilarating structural inventiveness and loony comedy, poignant soul-searching and incisive analysis of the life that may actually exist beyond one's four walls, Melissa James Gibson has created a unique play that is as witty and wise as it is stylistically groundbreaking and unexpected.

Genres: Plays, Drama

130 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Si Squires-Kasten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think having read [sic] will make me much less annoying in conversations about theater, in that Gibson provides a compelling alternative to everything I find infuriating about Annie Baker. While Baker feels so often like she simply transposes boring conversations onto the stage without comment, Gibson's dialogue captures moments that feel true to life inside strange formal experiments that demand to be performed. Additionally, I often find Baker's characterizations slightly malicious (or at least heavily ironized), but Gibson's characters' interests are compelling on their own, and together inform the ultimate message of the piece. I look forward to reading more!

[Martin Denton · Rating 3 out of 5]

[sic] takes place in three teeny-weeny apartments sharing a corridor in a less-than-desirable apartment house in Manhattan. Here neighbors Theo, Babette, and Frank live and work, or attempt to: Theo is a composer struggling with a commercial jingle and Frank is learning to become an auctioneer (it's not clear what Babette does or wants to do). They drift in and out of each other's lives and apartments with clockwork regularity; they're friends, lovers (actual and wannabe), critics, and enemies, wrapped tightly in a strange triangle of co-dependency.

Gibson's work is best as she explores the intimate obsessions of this trio, carving something like meaning out of a bleak urban landscape that seems to have none inherent in it. Babette, especially, is in love with words and their power; but all three are searching rather desperately for something to hold onto, to believe in; something more potent and lasting than the downstairs neighbors on whose lives--infinitely more vivid and eventful than their own--they occasionally eavesdrop.

[Joy Pouros · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were moments I loved this script, but ultimately it's tilted a bit too "trying-to-be-new-york-edgy" or "it's-not-pretentious-if-they-live-in-NYC". I normally prefer realism, but the style grew on me and I think this could be very well done on a stage.

I think it was close to being great, but it misses the mark for me. It has a point, but it lacks plot or follow through on any storylines. I think having Larry as a real character may have focused things a bit more. We needed one grounding character. The characters are floating though life with little real direction, but no real change happens which is unsatisfying.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A play for my play reading and discussion class. I did enjoy the experience of reading this strangely formatted piece of art but I defiantly think that this is one that should be seen, due to the playwrights specific notes about how it should be put on, and reading it you can't quite exactly grasp what she wanted. But it was still quite the ride to read.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt pressured to like this because my playwriting teacher, when assigning it, muttered to himself, "Such a fucking good play." And so, because I really like said teacher, I kept a very positive attitude throughout this and WANTED to like it.

There WERE things I had a problem with - in general, the play seems a little self-indulgent and willfully 'modern' and 'experimental', but it really does contain some great writing, some absolute truisms of the modern world. Though some of the writing reaches too hard to seem realistic and natural, there's a lot of incredible humor in [sic:] that was much, much better when performed live.

Did [sic:] change my life or rock any of my core beliefs? No. But--sad though it may be--I related to enough of what the characters said to have that appreciative-head-nod that makes a play worthwhile. And even though a lot of this play SCREAMED "trying to appeal to the downtown New York theatre crowd", I do appreciate work that attempts to innovate, and [sic:] does just that, in obscuring characters' actions and words to illustrate just how little attention we pay to each other.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I though some of the dialogue was fun, and the characters could be interesting, I felt that it was just okay. There is so much happening that I started to not really care about what was happening. Sometimes something would come up from later, and it would take me back to that moment, but then it would go no where. It felt more like a TV series with really short episodes/sketches. Because of that, it lost my attention often.

[Lanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for a beginning theatre director, I think, because it gives a lot to work with...and leaves a lot up to the imagination.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome three character play. Lots of situational and linguistic humor.