‘How I Got Rich in a Year…’

How I got Rich in a Year, Using That Secret
Flashpoint Mead Theatre Lab

Remaining performances:
Saturday, July 19 @ 4:30 PM; Sunday, July 20 @ 7 PM; Thursday, July 24 @ 7:30 PM

They say: ”Last year, writer/performer Laura Zam wowed audiences with a sold-out show the Washington Post called ‘Smart’…’Funny’…and ‘Beautiful.’ This year, Zam is back with a new solo play about synchronicity and extreme success. Can our heroine manifest wads of cash? Can she cure her friend’s cancer? If not, heaven help us.”

Marianka’s take: Woman in a man’s dress suit plays 6 one-dimensional characters defined and distinguished only by their ACCENTS:

• Sleazy Southern motivational speaker Ken who likes to speak “fake German,” and his unseen, unheard wife.
• Diffident second-generation holocaust survivor and quirky performance artist Laura, lusting for a luxury apartment in Betty Friedan’s building.
• Noo Yawk heckler and his sickly new-age wife.
• Prissy British cult competitor.

Guess what? All except Ken achieve their dreams!

There’s no set, no costumes, no props (sorry, I forgot about the little bongo drum and a couple of chairs), no heft, no “saft” (look that up in your German dictionary), only some forgettable soundtrack for character transitions.

According to the program, this writer-performer has an impressive bio, glowing endorsements, and many helpful friends, but that’s so last year. Her technique is as tight as her drum, but this year’s material is as thin as a fringe.

See it if: You are a believer, skeptic, slob, and/or a friend of Laura’s.

Skip it if: You are not, and you have other choices.