Berkshire on Stage

Harbinger Theatre has brought many regional premiers to the Albany Capital District, 10 in a
row, to be precise. But right now, Harbinger is showing a world premier of a play written by
Schenectady local and regional theater personality Brian Sheldon. Staged at The Albany Barn,
Custom Cuts is an autobiographical play about loyalty, abuse, broken family, and growing up.
Writing an autobiographical play–especially one about such heavy subjects–can be fraught. I
was pleased by the ways that Sheldon avoided sentimentality but remained truthful to his own
story. Custom Cuts is both brutal and hilarious in turns and sometimes at the same moment.
The casual and easy dialogue with which the characters discuss their lives, their dreams, and
their contentious family dynamics keeps the play grounded, and the witty snark rings true to life
and does not take away from the tragic reality of each character’s situation.

Under the direction of Angela Ledtke, Sheldon’s play comes to life with an excellent cast. The
lead character Anthony is played by Tyler Cardona, whose quiet resilience in the face of an
abusive father and his own insecurities is wonderful to watch. Anthony’s friend Matt, played by
Gabriel Fabian, is full of youthful swagger that pairs well with Anthony’s shyness. Aaliyah Al-
Fuhaid as Anthony’s sister Jo plays her stubbornness and anger well, but is less compelling in
moments that call for more tenderness. On the other hand, Jason Stewart as Anthony’s
stepfather Al is able to seamlessly oscillate between being tough, being tender, and being a little
sassy. Speaking of sass, Peter Delocis’s performance as Anthony’s father Danny drips with
both delightful cheekiness and gut-wrenching manipulation and abuse. The play opens with
Danny shooting the breeze with a client, and his charisma is obvious; within the same scene we
see him interact with Anthony and a darker side to him is quickly revealed. But in oscillating
between fun sass and painful abuse, Delocis never quite finds where the two selves meet, and
unfortunately there is a missed opportunity in Custom Cuts to examine the real, broken human
behind the abuser.

Custom Cuts is staged in the round, which comes with its own unique set of challenges. The
actors make excellent use of the space overall and don’t neglect any section of the audience. (I
sat right behind the salon mirror, which I thought served as a nice “window” into the lives of the
characters.) The set was effective for the space, if a bit sparse; I wouldn’t want the set too
cluttered, but some more props to suggest a fully functioning home salon would have brought
the set to life a bit more. And despite the small space and simple set, lighting designer Nick
Nealson adds to the drama and emotion of the show with a few very well-timed and well-placed
spotlights.

The only thing that this production is unable to make work in the challenging theater space is
the fight choreography. I simply cannot think of any way that staging a brawl in the round could
be done well, especially in such an intimate theater. This play served as proof that no one
should attempt it. The fights were thoroughly unconvincing, which was a shame when the scenes leading up to those brawls were so effective at building the tension only to sputter to an
unsatisfying and unrealistic conclusion.

Custom Cuts is all around a gritty and cathartic play that will leave audiences emotionally
exhausted but nevertheless satisfied. The cast and crew make good use of the space overall
and, despite some staging issues, Custom Cuts is wonderfully cathartic, heartbreaking, uplifting,
and funny. With this play, Harbinger Theatre took a risk and I am pleased to report that their risk
pays off!

Harbinger Theatre presents Custom Cuts by Brian Sheldon at The Albany Barn, 56 Second
Street Albany, NY 12210. Directed by Angela Ledtke. Runs from September 21-29, 2023.
Assistant Director: Olivia Walton. Producer: Amy Hausknecht. Stage Manager: Lauren
D’Annibale. Cast: Tyler Cardona as Anthony, Peter Delocis as Danny, Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid as Jo,
Gabriel Fabian as Matt, Jason Stewart as Al, and Debby Bercier as Janet. Sound design by
Joshua Horowitz. Set design by Mike McDermott. Lighting design by Nick Nealson. Fight
choreography by Rachel Leigh Head. Props by Maureen Aumand. Costume design by Rajesh
Khambete. Light Board Operator: Sue Katz. Wardrobe Supervisor: Olivia Ledtke.

Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15 for general intermission. Runs
approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Contains depictions of abuse and the use of
prop cigarettes. Recommended for ages 14+. Tickets are available online at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/666765342087, or at the door for any performance.