Pipeline Theatre Company returns to the stage with Bekah Brunstetter's new play Fat Kids on Fire, currently performing at Wings Theatre, in the West Village, through October 2. This new play follows the adventures of a slighly chubby high school girl who is sent to fat camp, where she learns that in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
Bess is an earnest, insecure young woman trying to navigate the treacherous multi-tiered society of high school. She longs to be accepted among the "beautiful" people but finds herself thwarted by her physical appearance and her neediness. When her over-achieving and fitness-obssessed parents send her off to a motivational camp that specializes in overweight kids, she suddenly finds herself much higher up on the social totem pole than she has ever been, and the height, while at first intoxicating, causes her to lose her moral balance. Brunstetter's play is both bruisingly funny and painfully accurate in its depiction of the ruthless jungle of teenage social politics. Her language never rings false nor does she allow easy endings for her characters. Actions have consequences and there is little room for second chances.
Nicole Spiezio and Sydney Matthews
