Almost 13
Created by Joan Kane
Produced by Ego Actus, New York, USA
Review by Brian Carroll
55 min / 14+ / Play, Drama, Solo / Mature language, Sexual content, Violence
In 1969, twelve years after West Side Story premiered, there are still gangs on the streets. One such is Tony’s South Brooklyn Boys (SBB). The Biddies, a powerful group of mothers on 5th Street, encourage them.
The SBB offer “protection” to Italians, Jews, Catholics and Irish on the street. “Protection” from outside Hispanic and Black neighbourhoods. They also run numbers for the mob.
Growing up, there are 12-year-old Sis and her older brother, Chrissy. Their single parent mom works two jobs: secretary by day and toilet cleaner in the evening. The Biddies call her children “latch-key kids”.
Props from Almost 13. Photo provided.
Brooklyn summer is hot. Sis cools off in the spray of the street’s fire hydrant. At night she watches Coney Island fireworks from the roof. She dreams of being an astronaut. She longs to swim in the surf of Coney Island.
Chrissy’s job is to look after his sister while mom is at work. He teaches Sis how to fish for coins under sewer grates.
One day, Chrissy lets his guard down, leaving Sis alone. She strikes up a conversation with Juan from 4th Street. The Biddies notice Hispanic intrusion on SBB turf. Biddy Mrs. Bruni calls her nephew Tony. Tony brings his gang and confronts Juan. After a heated exchange of racist slurs, Tony clubs Juan in the head with a baseball bat. Then the entire gang beats Juan to death. Sis, hiding behind the stoop, sees it all.
This harrowing tale continues in a script that pulls few punches.
Let me be clear: Like reviewers at the Edinburgh Fringe, I love the script.
That said, I found the opening night performance rusty. Some overly long pauses between characters interrupted the flow, lessening the impact.
I hope actor Joan Kane can restore the polish to this play.
Almost 13 is playing at ODD Box from June 15–23. Tickets are $14 plus service fees at the Fringe box office (3rd floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue), and at the two satellite box offices (LabO in the Ottawa Art Gallery and La Nouvelle Scene). 5 and 10 Show Passes are also available. Visit the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s website for the show’s schedule and check out their online schedule here.
