Heartbreak hotel: Miles Thompson and
Ellen Harnberger in Dear Lemon Lima, running Friday at the Armory
Square drive-in, Saturday at the MOST.
It begins when
Vanessa, nicknamed Ness (Ellen Harnberger), endures a particularly
harsh breakup with slightly older boyfriend Philip (Miles Thompson),
who callously comments, “I have a lot of aspirations for the summer and
I can’t afford any distraction.” Of course, both are working at the
same ice cream truck that’s parked on a roadside. Meanwhile, Ness’
neighbors are undergoing personal crises: The girl next door, who has
renamed herself Nothing (Samantha Futerman), seeks solace with her
theremin, while lonely Hercules Harold (Zachary Lopes) forms a more
heartfelt connection with his rabbit instead of his domineering parents
(played by Hugh Scully and Melissa Leo, the latter from The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada). Yoonessi claims on her production company’s Web site that the Dear Lemon Lima
short is supposed to morph to a feature film, but it already seems
complete: a sealed world of repressed feelings, clueless parental units
and selfish peers, with spot-on turns by Harnberger, Futerman and Lopes
as the uber-sensitive kids. Drive-In, Friday, May 2, 8:30 p.m.; MOST, Saturday, May 3, 11:30 a.m.
