Our Little Secret – Review by Jen Bush

Our Little Secret is a home invasion gone wrong…or right, depending how you look at it.  Darlene is a lonely young woman at home watching television in her Miami condo.  Under false pretenses, a masked assailant named Sam gets her to open the door and holds her at gunpoint.  As the two begin to converse, more and more gets revealed about them both.  Another knock on the door throws Sam and Darlene for a loop.  It’s Detective Banks who is investigating the sighting of a prowler in the condo.  Darlene makes up a bunch of excuses not to let him in, but he returns later and is rather insistent on gaining entry.  Darlene and Sam’s lies grow more and more preposterous as Detective Banks suspicion mounts with every question he asks.  Who is Sam and why is he in Darlene’s apartment?  Well now, that’s the little secret!

Rollin Jewett penned this compelling dark comedy.  Rollin Jewett is a modern day multi award winning Renaissance man with skill and talent that crosses genres.  Singer, songwriter, actor, playwright and poet are just a fraction of what he does in the arts.  This is the sixth year that a play of his has been selected to be performed in the Downtown Urban Arts Festival.  His talent knows no bounds.

Our Little Secret let’s you simmer for a while because you’re not sure where it’s going.  There are plenty of twists along the way to keep things interesting.  The comedy lies in the lies.  Darlene can’t reveal that the prowler is in her home for fear of danger, so she tells the most outlandish tales possible that grow as long as Pinocchio’s nose.  It’s a well-done piece that will keep you interested and laughing a lot along the way.  It’s no secret that Our Little Secret is a quality production under the expert and always reliable direction of Jay Michaels.  Both Mr. Michaels and Ms. Kalman have worked with Mr. Jewett in past productions.  It’s an excellent collaborative relationship that should continue well into the future.

The cast of three was made up of Lydia Kalman as Darlene, Thamer Jendoubi as Sam and Vincent Ticali as Detective Banks.  All three cast members fit their roles like a well-tailored suit.  Lydia Kalman was an utter delight as Darlene.  She was whimsical and tenacious all at the same time.  I imagine Darlene’s backstory having elements of My Little Pony and lots and lots of princesses.  Ms. Kalman handles comedy well.  This was the second Rollin Jewett play that she had a lead role in for good reason.  Thamer Jendoubi is tall, muscular and imposing as the home-invader with a secret. Vincent Ticali rounded out the cast with his stellar portrayal of Detective Banks.  His comedic timing was impeccable.  He even threw in a hint of Columbo for good measure.  He and Ms. Kalman had excellent chemistry as they went toe to toe, one to hide the truth and one to uncover it.

I can’t keep a secret!  The Downtown Urban Arts Festival picked another winner in Our Little Secret.