The Collection and Tough Choices for the New Century: A Seminar for Responsible Living, Wing & Groove Theatre. Few one-acts stand much of a chance against Harold Pinter’s steely, nerve-racking The Collection–and on this double bill Jane Anderson’s collegiate effort Tough Choices for the New Century is laid to waste. Her mock seminar on disaster preparedness, led by the controlling Bob, his slow-to-boil wife Helen, and the gun-happy Arden, is too tame and predictable to make for meaningful social satire, and the first and second halves have little to do with each other. But Eric Ziegenhagen’s meticulous direction and exquisitely understated performances by John Roberts, Molly Mehan, and Kristina Martin make this hour-long piece as funny and thought provoking as possible.
