The Bad Bruise of Billy MacBean & The Gringo of the Deli Acapulco

Old Kent Road Theater presents two stories about love in all the strange places with a double bill featuring The Bad Bruise of Billy MacBean and The Gringo of the Deli Acapulco.

The Bad Bruise of Billy MacBean wittily deconstructs a relationship with verbal sparring, poetic interludes and contemplative vignettes. Billy and Klare like each other very much, that much is clear, but he simply won’t leave his basement. A former child chess prodigy, Billy has become agoraphobic since the death of his father and no amount of coaxing can extract him from his home. This tender new play is a beautiful allegory for the power of communication. The cast includes Charlie Hewson and Kaytie Morris.

The Gringo of the Deli Acapulco is a euphemism for outsiders. An insane tramp and a social worker fall instantly in love after locking eyes at an all-night deli in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This magical moment, as it turns out, is just that as something more supernatural is in play. The entrance of Olivia’s sister’s ghost and the sudden appearance of a revolver from under a tablecloth pull the lovers into a deadly contest where identity, mortality, and even objective reality are questioned and blurred. The cast includes Reema Zaman and Scott Eckert.