Sex, Lies, and Social Media

Elin Hampton’s “Casey 229” is the only piece of the five short plays presented at ALAP’s “Sex, Lies and Social Media” that seamlessly integrates all the elements of the aforementioned title; sex, lies and social media, organically in a ten minute piece with three dimensional characters and a fully fleshed out story that is surprising, entertaining and funny. Performances by David Fury and Elin Hampton only heighten the believability and add to the abundant humor. Kudos to David Fury for fluid and unobtrusive direction. This collection of plays is only worth attending to see this polished gem.... full review

Sex, Lies, and Social Media was a great way to start off this year's Hollywood Fringe! A wonderfully diverse group of short plays, all entertaining, all with terrific performances, created a delightfully quick hour. "Uncomfortable Sex" by Lorin Howard, took my prize as a touching look at an uncomfortable subject...uncomfortable, at first, simply because the two characters discussing it are OLD. The audience noticeably hushed as these two started down a path, even young lovers don't dare tread. It was a fascinating, timely and endearing dip into a delicate subject - - yes, there actually STILL is one! Great job. Go see the entire show! ... full review

Pitch-perfect performances in touching, funny, well-written plays! I was glad I made time to see Sex, Lies, and Social Media.... full review

Originally posted on Bitter Lemons - "Fringe Femmes" | “Sex, Lies, and Social Media” plays by Mary Steelsmith, Elin Hampton and Lorin Howard | First of all, how fabulous to see the very traditional (read, male) Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights shaking things up a bit with some female energy in its first Fringe outing! On their bill of five short plays, three are written by women. Nice! There’s nothing wildly experimental or risky here, but these plays (all of them) work together to make a cohesive evening of theater that speaks to ALAP’s longstanding reputation as a community of solid and supportive writers. A few of the pieces have a successful track record of productions, including Mary Steelsmith’s clever Happy and Gay; ... full review

Fun and varied individual 10min plays. Loved Elin Hampton's "Casey229"--full of surprises and well acted by both Elin herself and director/David Fury. Dan Berkowitz in "The Devil Made Me Do it," was a hoot. ... full review

Go! Sex, Lies and Social Media features five very funny, very well done short plays. Running just an hour, with fine writing and acting (including humorous and quirky interludes during the lightning-fast scene changes), the show is well paced and a fun, quick thrill from start to finish. Stand outs in this all round fine show are "Casey 229" by Elin Hampton and "The Devil Made Me Do It" by Dan Berkowitz, both of which had the audience howling with laughter. Hampton and Berkowitz also perform in their own plays, demonstrating that they are very funny both on the page as well as on the stage. Great show, highly recommend.... full review

ALAP's Sex, Lies & Social Media is an ambitious mix of five 10-minute plays about the intersection of human life. Mary Steelsmith's Happy and Gay is the strongest piece (and the first of the bunch), about two women decorating a church for its first gay wedding. The others offer unique insight into the human condition, especially how we allow ourselves to become a little more open and vulnerable (or not). Surprises and twists abound in all the plays. I would have preferred the plays be presented without a "host," but others may feel differently. Best of luck to everyone involved in this eclectic group of plays!... full review

ALAP's “Sex, Lies, and Social Media” is a mixed bag, but highly entertaining for the most part. The three pieces contributed by Lorin Howard, Mary Steelsmith and Elin Hampton are all consistently clever and amusing. The two short plays by Dan Berkowitz and Ron Burch are not without laughs but tend to fall back on stale ideas and clichés.... full review

Mariah Bonner strikes quite a figure as the narrator of these 5 short plays by The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP). Encouraging the audience to post on social media about the show, many in the audience were more than happy to oblige! Each of the 5 plays poses questions about sexual orientation, attraction, and how social media has affected our relationships. Each story is simple in the telling, but deep in human interaction. HAPPY AND GAY by Mary Steelsmith centers on two women decorating a church hall for a gay wedding reception. Veronica (Mary Steelsmith) is the more conservative of the two, confused and disappointed that her church and Reverend is allowing such an event to take place within the walls. Betty (AnnaLisa Er... full review

Review by Pauline Adamek. ***This review first appeared on www.StageRaw.com *** A mostly dull collection featuring corny humor, "Sex, Lies, and Social Media" is a loosely connected evening of five 10-minute short plays by different writers; Dan Berkowitz, Ron Burch, Elin Hampton, Lorin Howard and Mary Steelsmith. Live tweeting is encouraged between each play by the evening’s sultry hostess, Mariah Bonner, who introduces each play and appears as a succubus in the final one. These five were selected for presentation after a competition staged by the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP). Common themes in each include sexual inclination, relationships and an examination of the effect of social media on daily interaction. Regrettably on... full review