Laurie Rae Waugh Directs ¡Poof! and Love’s a Thin Diet at the ATA

In a time when their voices are desperately needed, two brave writers have come together in one production to battle misogyny, capitalism, corporate greed, abuse of power, and social injustice. Amy Losi presents Love’s a Thin Diet, and Sarah Vindigni provides ¡Poof!, both shepherded masterfully by director Laurie Rae Waugh.

The plays are very different in approach and subject matter, but share an underlying theme of toppling toxic power figures; the abused and betrayed rise up to defeat the abusers. In Love’s a Thin Diet, the setting is a university, where tenured professor of literature Oliver Randall (Alan Hasnas) is meeting with student Catharine (Joelle Raske) to discuss class-related matters—or so it would seem. After Oliver brings out white wine and a gift for Catharine, she recognizes that his intentions are not honorable and goes to leave, but not before Oliver forces a kiss. It is a disturbing scene well played by the actors, and the discomfort of watching it is magnified by one’s awareness of its prevalence in a patriarchal society rife with predators, abhorrently abusing their authority. (And Losi’s play does indeed stem from a personal experience.)

Comeuppance is served in the form of Aphra Behn (Amanda Cannon), Oliver’s former student—and former wife. Aphra was seduced and manipulated by the much older Oliver, who also betrayed her professionally by stealing her work and publishing it under his own name. In a tense scene realized stunningly by Hasnas and Cannon, Aphra confronts Oliver in her apartment, dismissing his laughable defense that everything that he had done to her was in the name of love and support. With help from a surprise guest, Aphra turns the tables on Oliver, culminating in a “punch the air” moment where his university boss Helen (played by playwright Losi) traps him by using his own playbook. Love’s a Thin Diet is a brief but satisfying piece, realized by an excellent cast bringing three-dimensionality to their characters in just 30 minutes, and providing a delicious denouement.

In ¡Poof! we are introduced to Todd Mandesfield (Ken Coughlin), CEO of Metro Energy, who is giving directions to his employee Amby Hughes (Ronan Kelly), who is seated at a laptop where he can control the entire power grid of New York City. The duo is suddenly ambushed by Lexie McCord (Sonia Halle) and Joey Bryan (William Allen), union activists who threaten to have the grid shut down unless Metro Energy gives in to their demands—chiefly, a 32-hour work week with no decrease in pay. But these are no ordinary activists; the scenario is plunged into the realm of the paranormal, as Joey uses his mental powers to paralyze Mandesfield. Allen is fantastic at creating an otherworldly air for Joey, as he manipulates Mandesfield physically by just moving his hands, almost like an orchestra conductor. But Mandesfield can still speak, and speak he does, championing the cause of capitalism. But Lexie and Joey have a counterargument for every point, calling on historical events over the last few centuries to prove that the way of the oligarch leads to doom for all, and how much better the world would be if we treated each other like human beings and gave everyone a fair share (a particularly powerful statement in 2025). The actors are collectively astonishing in their command of what is very difficult material, balancing verbose history lessons while never letting the tension of the present moment abate.

Lexie keeps asking Joey to “check-in”, i.e. find out through his psychic powers how the union fight is going, and he amusingly and cleverly receives the answers in code in the form of famous song lyrics by the likes of the Beatles, the Eagles, and Billy Joel.

Through it all Amby is an impartial observer, taking in the point/counterpoint until he chooses a side and is convinced to shut down the grid. (We actually see the boroughs go dark one by one on Amby’s monitor screen, and the effect is unsettling yet thrilling.)

Like the heroes of Love’s a Thin Diet before them, it is a triumph for the oppressed over the wealthy and powerful that one can only dream might play out in real life. Vindigni’s writing is unique, playful, and thought-provoking, and the history lessons demonstrating the power of the people are woven expertly into the narrative.

Ultimately, ¡Poof! and Love’s a Thin Diet are a powerful double feature that makes a pivotal statement regarding where we are today in society in terms of profound global injustice, and what we could aspire to be if the oppressed (AKA the 99 percent) can come together.

¡Poof! and Love’s a Thin Diet appear together at the Beckmann Theatre at the American Theatre of Actors through July 20, 2025.