Angie Aquavitae is Aggravated—You Would Be Too

By Marilyn Lester****As you enter the world of Angie Aquavitae you may already be primed for the unexpected. The music, the atmosphere, the program notes quite possibly have built that air. But there you are, received into the home of a traditional Italian American family in the borough of Brooklyn, in the City of New York.

Welcome to the kitchen of one Angie Aquavitae, a person with a lot of things to get off her chest—things that scoop you up, draw you in and take you on a ride of events that are high-spirited and fascinating as much as they become compelling and poignant, and even disturbing. Of course there will be coffee and cookies; this is an Italian household, after all. Music also permeates Angie’s story from start to finish. These tunes illuminate her defining moments. There’s comedy too and plenty of it—until things get serious. No matter. You’ll be entertained, engaged, pulled into Angie’s story. You’ll understand why she’s aggravated. You would be too.

ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED and SHE’S GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT whether you like it or not is a one-man play written and performed by A. Aquavitae. What you know immediately about Angie, is that she’s played by a man. You know this fact because at the start of ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED, the playwright enters in partial costume, the final touches of Angie’s attire completed onstage. This is A. Aquavitae. But what does the A. stand for: Angelo? Anthony? Andrew? As to who he is, why the mystery and why he’s made certain creative choices is anyone’s guess. You’re bidden to speculate—to think about it. Conundrums can make awfully good theater. Had A. Aquavitae been any more revealing about himself or his narrative, you wouldn’t have half the fun, or be left feeling and thinking deeply at the play’s end. ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED is much more than the sum of its parts.

What we know about the character of Angie Aquavitae is that she’s a spry 80-year old Italian woman living in a house in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. She’s a daughter, a mother, a sister and a widow. Her best friend is Connie but she’s close to a woman named Carolina with whom she conducts an intermittent phone conversation in between bouts of aggravation during the course of the play. Angie has a good heart when all is said and done; and although her aggravation floats on the premise, to quote the Mercer Ellington tune, “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be,” the deeper truth is that Angie is in pain. But you will like Angie. She’ll entertain you in more ways than one, and eventually you might even see yourself in her and allow your heart to go out to her.

As the action unfolds we become aware of a prime driver of Angie’s persona, the unseen “Ma,” Angie’s 106-year-old mother to whom she speaks frequently through the door to the matriarch’s bedroom. There’s Dr. Abromowitz, a traditional Jewish neighborhood M.D. who’s been caring for Ma since 1985. There’s Connie, a tough broad who’s self-destructing through incessant smoking. These two characters appear during the course of the play with A. Aquavitae effecting costume changes onstage. What each has to say informs who Angie is and why she’s so aggravated. Finally, there’s Angie’s contemporary Paolo and his nephew Nunzio. Their relationship to Angie becomes clear at the climax of the play as the mask is torn away. When all is revealed there’s only Angie left. Everything else has fallen away. The lyrics to Neil Diamond’s “I Am I Said,” play: “I am… I said, To no one there, And no one heard at all, Not even the chair”—a perfect and profound ending.

Director Robert Landy in his program notes also reveals that the action of the play is in the mind and imagination of Angie Aquavitae. But does this fact make what you’ll witness any less true? Does it alter the experience of Angie or her authenticity? Not substantively. Angie’s unravelling before your eyes is powerfully genuine no matter what you think you know. Thus, ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED accomplishes what any solid play should; it’s impactful and it’s relatable. Aggravation, angst, anxiety, family troubles, remorse, guilt, shame… no one is exempt.

ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED and SHE’S GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT whether you like it or not is initially being produced as part of the 35th anniversary of the New York University Drama Therapy Program, which Dr. Landy, Professor Emeritus, founded. Make no mistake, though, the play stands on its own as a bona fide theatrical work. There’s no navel gazing here. Taken at face value, as it should be, ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED is powerful, meaningful theater.

ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED is produced by Go Tell It Productions (Michael Dinwiddie, Dr. John Shévin Foster, Marcia Pendleton). The multi-talented Ellen Smittle not only serves as Production Stage Manager, but is responsible for the music that underscores the play, technical design and operations and poster and program design. Costume design is by Mark Mariani. The run crew, Amanda Rothman and Jiao Zhang, also oversee wardrobe. House management is provided by Steinhardt Music and Performing Arts Professions

ANGIE AQUAVITAE is AGGRAVATED and SHE’S GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT whether you like it or not​ runs through Sunday, January 26 at the Black Box Theatre, NYU Pless Hall, 82 Washington Square East (corner of Washington Place).

Admission is FREE but reservations are required. Click here to reserve.