It's rare that you see sommeliers portrayed in the arts, and when you do, they are usually stiffly dressed with a white tablecloth over the arm-- present as a prop more than a character.
But head to this years Fringe Festival, and you will find a sommelier in the spotlight. The play, Certifiable, by Molly Rydzel, is a touching story of a sommelier, the love of her life, and his new wife.
But head to this years Fringe Festival, and you will find a sommelier in the spotlight. The play, Certifiable, by Molly Rydzel, is a touching story of a sommelier, the love of her life, and his new wife.
Kett Turton and Crystal Arnette play the roles of Greg and Pam The plot takes us through the raw and bumpy relationship between Pam (our sommelier) and Greg (a successful banker). They fall deeply in love, and as Pam studies for her sommelier certification, Greg helps her hit the books. During their courtship, sommeliers in the audience might sigh with nostalgia as they drink certain bottles (like an '82 DRC). But it's not always easy for this couple because Pam has a mental illness that causes her to drift into scary places when she doesn't take her meds. Greg is very supportive, but has to leave when she pushes him over the edge.
He ends up marrying the Stepfordesque Marianne. Marianne is sweet, loving, and faithful; but Greg still has feelings for Pam, who haunts their relationship.
He ends up marrying the Stepfordesque Marianne. Marianne is sweet, loving, and faithful; but Greg still has feelings for Pam, who haunts their relationship.
Playwright & Sommelier Molly Rydzel The playwright, Molly Rydzel works as a sommelier and knows how to make all the right jokes. You will crack up when Greg's new wife, Marianne, orders a glass of pinot grigio with a side of ice, or when she talks about 'serious gourmet food, like risotto.' You want to slap this woman when you hear her dismissively speak to the waitstaff. When Pam drinks some leftover sips of wine bottles sold that evening, you might recognize a bottle of Haut-Brion on the bar-top. And when Greg helps Pam study for her sommelier exams, your adrenaline will kick in as you watch her recall the certified grape varieties grown in the major regions of France. You may even commiserate when she slams her wine study book closed while vociferously cursing.
Greg and Pam Your heart will melt a little when you watch Greg fall in love with Pam, especially when he proclaims, "You've shown me this whole other world of wine! Now that I know all of this exists, I'm never gong back!" And when things don't work out with Pam, you feel sorry for him when you know he is drinking cheap pinot grigio at his wife's dinner party.
Neka Zang plays the roll of Marianne But despite Marianne's shallowness, her character development is so interesting. She turns out to be a powerful lady who courageously confronts Pam on several occasions to defend her marriage to Greg. You end up really feeling for this poor woman when she goes to visit Pam in the hospital and unwittingly discovers a betrayal by her husband. And when the play ends, it is Marianne who has lost everything.
In the restaurant business, I've worked closely with the playwright, Molly Rydzel, and I watched her work towards and achieve her own sommelier certification. Over the years I've been amazed at how she has managed to balance her theater career with her restaurant career- she'd never miss a sommelier shift despite writing all morning and rehearsing all afternoon! I've been impressed with her passion for wine, and her skill at working on the restaurant floor. I was so excited to see Certifiable on opening night; Molly's enthusiasm for wine truly shines through the script.
Molly also has a fascination with the mind, and this play explores not only the life of a sommelier, but the life of someone with severe mental illness. If you have ever had someone close to you with schizophrenia, your heart will ache as you watch Pam attempt to determine what around her is real and what is imagined. Crystal Arnette owns this role and performs it with an eerie elegance.
Wine, love, and drama-- these threads weave themselves through all of our lives, and you can find them on stage through August 24th, 2013.
Now playing at the Connolly Theater on 4th Street:
FRI 8/16 @ 9:30-11:00
SUN 8/18 @ 4:15-5:45
THU 8/22 @ 4:30-6:00
SAT 8/24 @ NOON-1:30
Tickets: 866 468 7619
Molly also has a fascination with the mind, and this play explores not only the life of a sommelier, but the life of someone with severe mental illness. If you have ever had someone close to you with schizophrenia, your heart will ache as you watch Pam attempt to determine what around her is real and what is imagined. Crystal Arnette owns this role and performs it with an eerie elegance.
Wine, love, and drama-- these threads weave themselves through all of our lives, and you can find them on stage through August 24th, 2013.
Now playing at the Connolly Theater on 4th Street:
FRI 8/16 @ 9:30-11:00
SUN 8/18 @ 4:15-5:45
THU 8/22 @ 4:30-6:00
SAT 8/24 @ NOON-1:30
Tickets: 866 468 7619
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