Fringe/6 Seconds in Charlack

Reviewed by Cindy Pierre

As the old saying goes, “You only get one chance at true love.” Some people laugh that off. Not Brian Golden, whose 6 Seconds in Charlack follows that theory to its bitter end. Bard (Andy Wagner), a young lawyer-to-be, is torn between a wholesome, by-the-books nurse named Penny (Allison Walton) and the memories of a carefree, sexy dreamer named Candy (Christena Dogrell). The character names are appropriate: Penny is the sensible, current girlfriend, while Candy is the tempter that he met before her. Once you understand that, you have everything that you need to get through this uneven drama.

Although the material and the performances are mostly humdrum or predictable, the music, calling to mind the romance and beauty of Captain Corelli's Mandolin (sans mandolin), is not. However, every time Ned Cray strums his guitar and transports us to another world, Wagner's unnecessary yelling snaps us out of it. The music is also not supported by Golden's script. Although there are moments where the dialogue could have been poetic and passionate, the script and the performers don't mesh. Patrick Mills does a decent job with directing by creating smooth entries and exits for his cast, but the romantic and nostalgic moments between the actors are often stunted by a lack of confidence or a lack of chemistry. Bard may have his hands much too full with lawyering, fixing typewriters, writing novels, moving, and mucking up a relationship, but all of this activity still doesn't make him or the story interesting. Throw in an unsatisfying ending, and what you have in 6 Seconds in Charlack is a production that needs much more time to develop.
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6 Seconds in Charlack (Running time: 90 minutes)
CSV Cultural and Educational Center: Flamboyan (107 Suffolk Street, between Rivington and Delancey Streets)
Tickets: $15. www.fringenyc.org