Sideways The Experience

Sideways The Experience is playing at Theatre At St. Clements located at 423 West 46th Street. It runs two hours thirty minutes with one intermission. The play closes on April 11, 2020.

The play is based on Rex Pickett’s book and 2004 film adaptation.

The setting is Los Angeles to the Santa Ynez Valley California 1999.

Miles (Brian Ray Norris) is on the toilet talking to his agent. This is the 63rd time his book is being submitted to a publisher to be published. It looks promising. He goes to a bar to celebrate by having a glass of wine. It was terrible. His friend Jack (Gil Brady) comes in. He’s going to be married in a week. They decide to travel up to the wineries and celebrate Miles book being published and Jack getting married. But first they to go to Miles mothers house to wish her a Happy Birthday. Phyllis (Allison Briner Dardenne) is thrilled he remembered.

On their journey they stop in a place Miles has frequented several times. Maya (Kimberly Doreen Burns) the waitress greets him as if they have been friends for a long time. Jack say go after her. Miles is reluctant he has been divorced for two years and she has a wedding band on her finger. As it turns out she is divorced and wears her wedding on to keep men from hitting on her. Maya’s friend Terra (Jenny Strassburg) comes into the room. Jack is all over her.

They go to an outdoor sauna and drink. The wine is from Maya ex-husband wine cellar as part of her divorce. Miles is in heaven, it’s so good.

Terra and Jack hook up. He tells her he loves her and can’t live without her. Jack of course never tells her he’s getting married.

Miles and Maya are in bed. They have had sex. She tells him what Jack has said to Terra. Miles tell her Jack is getting married. She freaks out and tells him Jack gave her a thousand dollars to bring the wine.

Well to find out what happens you will have to see this amusing but interesting play.

The first act some the scenes in the begging were silly which didn’t seem funny to me although the audience was laughing. As the play proceeds it has something to say about different relationships and how you handle them.

There is a scene with Brad (Stephen Elrod) at a bar. Brad is drinking bear and Miles of course drinking wine. On the side Brad makes money killing wild boars eating the grapes. He invites Miles to come with when he hunts Boars. Miles take Jack with him. I’m not telling what happens or how the play ends.

You can get a package to have wine and dinner before the show, or two glasses of wine or like me watch it sober.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read candid interview with the cast, scroll down the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.