Pink Banana Makes Most of 'Dead Man's Cell Phone'

Dead Man's Cell Phone sounds deliciously promising. A woman on her own in a café answers the incessantly ringing phone of a man sitting next to her. It turns out the man is dead. Accepting his cell phone into her life, she finds herself immersed in what used to be his. There's a lot of potential in that idea. Unfortunately, playwright Sarah Ruhl doesn't do anything terribly interesting with the concept. In scene after scene, she tries too hard to reach for depth and poignancy under the momentum of borrowed sentiment.

The bright side of a script this bad is that it can sometimes bring forth great performances from actors far more insightful than the playwright. This is precisely the case with Pink Banana Theatre's production of Dead Man's Cell Phone. A solid, interesting cast sparkles with stellar performances that make this a play worth seeing.

Nate Press is stunning in the role of the dead man. His first words form an unremarkable monologue, but Press' intense delivery engages the audience. Later, in the afterlife, he holds a quirky conversation with the woman who found his cell phone (Kelly Coffey). As scripted, the conversation could have become tedious, but the dynamic between Press and Coffey makes it interesting.

Liz Shipe's dazzling performance as the late man's mistress is stylish and dripping with sensuality. Shipe slices a comic scalpel through her one substantial scene. With Press, Coffey and Shipe, Pink Banana has pushed beyond a dull script to put together an entertaining show.

Pink Banana's production of Dead Man's Cell Phone runs through Nov. 12 at Next Act Theatre's facility, 255 S. Water St. For ticket reservations, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/185311.