Aliens with Extraordinary Skills

Photo/Carol Rosegg

Saviana Stanescu's Aliens with Extraordinary Skills walks a thin tightrope between its lighthearted characters (two clowns from Moldavia, trying to find happiness) and its serious problem (INS agents want to deport them). Tea Alagic's acrobatic direction keeps the action lively, keeping the perspective in the blissful naivety of the circus of life, and the ensemble, often juggling three balls at once, never misses a beat. This form of narrative presents a shocking sweetness, captured best by Natalia Payne's wide-eyed innocence and Jessica Pimentel's jaded but open attitude, and, with a few balloon animals and their more cartoony counterparts on stage, the play succeeds in shifting our perspective on a familiar issue (immigration) at least for a a few happy and hopeful hours.

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