Mike Donahue brings Jen Silverman’s brilliant screenplay to life in a subtle but gloriously humorous way.
“Troy” is a comedic rollercoaster of reality that explores the often-overlooked intricacies of being neighbors.
There is no dancing around the fact that the plot revolves around a noisy neighbor named Troy who has a tonne of sex. Although his sexual escapades are the driving theme of the story his activities are solely presented to us audibly. So the Puritans can leave their pitchforks in the fields.
We also only really learn about Troy from a secondary perspective: genius story-telling which relies heavily on fantastic acting from the speaking cast. Troy is seen (and certainly heard!) but most of what we know about him comes from the two leading roles Thea and Charlie.
The pair live in a typical New York set of apartments and the walls are paper thin. Anyone who has ever lived in a block will be all too familiar with having to acclimatize to your neighbors and inevitably put up with noise.
There is obvious humor from the get-go as we are treated to a comical montage of the couple getting on with mundane day-to-day tasks with the moans of Troy as the awkward soundtrack to their routines.
Our two main characters are brought dryly to life by the talented Broadway actress Adina Verson and Michael Braun an up-and-coming actor with a fair few title under his belt already.
The two seem so comfortable acting with one another that they are instantly believable as a couple and you can imagine the backstory of their relationship.
Verson and Braun have a droll manner with some beautiful moments between them. Despite such a short script, they each get the opportunity to show off their versatility as actors.
The two go from irritated to emotionally invested in their neighbor’s exploits, especially following his breakup and decline. We see a softer side emerge from Verson’s character as she empathizes with the guy who up until now has been a daily nuisance.
A lot of the story is shown and not necessarily narrated which again highlights their skills and demands a lot from the supporting cast.
It is really fun to watch the pair glance at one another as well as the guests they are trying to entertain over the noise next door. Although a lot of their communication is silent we understand exactly what they are saying.
“Troy” is a sex-positive, witty short that highlights how we all affect each other, even among strangers whose lives don’t intersect. We highly recommend giving it a look.
The story has a concrete plot with a humorous ending and the whole thing is shot perfectly, everything from the handheld shooting to the apartment set color decisions add to the vibe. It draws the audience in, even if they are only there to giggle at Troy’s lewd, loud moans.
