Islander (Chicago Shakespeare Theater)

A perfectly sized theater houses the intimate and unique musical Islander. Fifteen year old Eilidh is the youngest inhabitant of Kinnan, a small island near Scotland. She lives with her Gran, the oldest person there. Many residents have left to find better futures on the mainland. The plot loosely considers the question of whether to stay or go and become a “biglander”.

Originally conceived by Amy Draper and a big hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Stewart Melton’s creative book playfully meanders through a series of vignettes. “There is a Whale” announces the first thing to appear on the beach and set the plot in motion.

This piece combines Scottish folklore with heart-stirring fairy tale. The musical opens with the song “The Splitting of the Island” which reflects the divide between those who will stay on the land and the others who will turn to the sea. This being folk tradition, the characters are not only human but also selkies and merpeople. A whimsical enchantment hangs in the air above the very ordinary problems faced by this maturing young woman and those surrounding her.

The nicely tuneful music and lyrics are written by Finn Anderson. They are moody and atmospheric rather than typical show tunes. What makes them extraordinarily interesting is the use of electronic looping. The two actresses who portray more than two dozen characters are not simply the vocalizers. They are also the operators of the technology which layers singing, clapping and breathing on top of each other. The audience watches the magic unfold amidst the storytelling.

Stephanie MacGaraidh and Sylvie Stenson were the performers I saw (the roles alternate with two other women every other night). Ms. Stenson’s main job is to guide Eilidh through her growth and decision making. Ms. MacGaraidh shines in many roles, notably as Gran. For those who have seen the television show Cunk on Earth, she reminded me of that host. Without ever leaving the stage, both excel at switching personas and locales in Eve Nicol’s effective staging.

The technical elements in support of this show are simple yet complex. Emma Bailey’s scenery showcases an island, its claustrophobia and hints at its edge-of-the-world inhospitableness. The lighting design by Simon Wilkinson is stunning for its simplicity and variety.

Sound Designer Sam Kusnetz makes Islander an unique theatrical experience by allowing the inputs of speech, song, sound effects and island enhancements wash over the listener. That we experience this aural feast while watching everything as it is happening is an absolute treat.

The government has offered to resettle the residents of this island. That is the device which may forever alter Kinnan. To be an Islander or not is the universal question. To experience Islanders is the imperative. This show is truly unique, wholly absorbing, often funny, dramatically realistic and, like a great day at the beach, softly soothing as the waves crash against the shoreline.

Islanders is running at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater through December 17, 2023.

www.chicagoshakes.com

About This Reviewer - August 3, 2023

Back to the Future: The Musical

Do we really need a musical adaptation of a 1985 hit film in 2023? Back to the Future: The Musical answers that question with dated MTV references, the use of a Polaroid camera and the infamous DeLorean car. The show is enormously fun, wholesomely silly and best described as an oversized theme park ride which intentionally and successfully accelerates to 88 miles per hour. Fasten your seat belts!

Marty McFly (Casey Likes) has “Got No Future” after his band audition is rejected. His family is a bunch of underachievers and he laments their state in “Hello – Is Anybody Home?” The beginning is amusing but the action, as expected, takes off when Doc Brown (Roger Bart) proclaims “It Works”. The time machine car is ready to rock and roll.

The plot generally holds true to the film with a few dashes of updated sassiness to spice up the humor quotient and lightly comment on the issues of today. “It just feels right when all the white men get want they want” is one tongue-in-cheek example which garners the laugh and does not feel preachy or forced. Bob Gale wrote the book based on the movie he co-wrote. The storytelling is solid and the characters surrounding Marty are still cartoonish caricatures brought to three dimensional life with some excellent performances.

Mr. Likes is a winning Marty as is his 1955 mother/girlfriend played by Llana Hunt. Mr. Bart’s Doc is an homage to the classic Christopher Lloyd mad scientist performance. Nathaniel Hackmann is the villainous Biff Tannen and his big Act II number is a standout not to mention his bully bulldog physicality.

The scene stealer in this production is Hugh Coles who perfectly inhabits the spineless father. George McFly is certainly a nerdy type, afraid of dreaming too big or getting the girl he wants. In one of his many memorable scenes, he sings “My Myopia is my utopia”. The performance is a complete knockout.

This past year has been an exceptionally rich one for featured actors in musicals. All of these are memorable turns: Jennifer Simard (Once Upon a One More Time), Alex Newell and Kevin Cahoon (Shucked), Kevin Del Aguila (Some Like It Hot), Betsy Wolff and Ben Jackson Walker (& Juliet) and last, but not least, Jinkx Monsoon’s roof raising guest star appearance as Mama Morton in Chicago. There were others worth celebrating too but those shows have sadly closed.

Is Back to the Future free of skid marks? Of course not. Doc’s “For the Dreamers” is a groaner. The music from the film is dutifully incorporated which can overpower the newly written tunes. “Earth Angel” and “Johnny B. Goode” throwbacks harken to an idealized and fictional America. “The Power of Love” makes a bombastic appearance near the end. As every good theme park entertainment knows, give ’em what they want and they’ll leave happy and smiling. At the Winter Garden Theatre in the year 2023 that is most likely a safe bet for all.

www.backtothefuturemusical.com/newyork

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About This Reviewer - July 19, 2023

Once Upon a One More Time

Here is yet another jukebox musical about female empowerment. The theme is certainly welcome but when it comes in repetitive wave after wave, the redundancy becomes numbing (not to mention the box office cannibalization). Some of these shows are very good (& Juliet). Some are not (Bad Cinderella). Once Upon a One More Time is a mixed bag but I enjoyed myself immensely.

The concept takes the Britney Spears catalog and attempts to reposition historical fairy tale female stereotypes. Those characters include Cinderella (again!), Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Princess Pea and the Little Mermaid. They have a reading club (really) so they’re not just pretty! The underdeveloped book (Jon Hartmere) bizarrely places these empowered women as less central than those who dominate them. If you can move on from the slight storyline, major fun can be had.

The show is a cavalcade of hits which sound arena loud and are well orchestrated. Keone and Mari Madrid are the husband and wife team who directed and choreographed this production. The dancing is fresh, exciting and energetically staged. Having seen many Broadway jukebox shows over the past five years, these two creatives bring something new and visual interesting to savor. I might even call it a TikTok sensibility and far more up-to-date than most mainstream offerings.

There are some excellent performances. The notorious scene stealing Jennifer Simard portrays the Stepmother. She is “Toxic”. That Act II number – and her deadpan delivery – is one of this musical biggest highlights. Adam Godley’s Narrator is an evil delight as he tries to keep the rebelling ladies acting as originally conceived. Brooke Dillman’s O.F.G. (Original Fairy Godmother) is a hoot.

The home run hitter in this musical is Justin Guarini as Prince Charming. Apparently all these princesses have figured out that there is only one of him and many of them (wink, wink The Book of Mormon still running). His role is large, his singing and dancing are excellent and his self-absorbed male egotism is unctuously smarmy.

Some of the ladies are quite good and I enjoyed Briga Heelan’s quietly transformational take on Cinderella. A few others, however, fall short of the mark but not helped by so very little to say and do. As a result, the feminist theme is off kilter. Referencing Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique book from 1963 is likely a head scratcher for most of the audience.

Of course this being today’s Broadway there is a gay subplot tossed in. You can probably guess that princesses come in many varieties. This addition is like many others where there is a perfunctory nod to shoving a gay couple onto the stage with almost no real context. Oops, they did it again.

Once Upon a One More Time is a big, splashy, colorful spectacle. Drinks are recommended as this one’s a party. I don’t listen to Britney Spears’s songs often so I found them to be a nostalgic treat. One of the best moments in the show is a fabulous “Circus”. The prince brags “all eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus”. Like the fairy tale sources they want to escape, these princesses are kinda second fiddle once upon a one more time.

www.onemoretimemusical.com

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About This Reviewer - July 16, 2023

New York, New York

I have experienced boredom in the theater before. New York, New York is not necessarily a bad show. Nor is it a particularly good one. The first act is akin to sitting through a marathon. If you go, standing at intermission will be a glorious relief. Is the second act better? Not enough to change the headline: Boring!

This musical is somewhat based on the flop 1977 film starring Liza Minelli and Robert DeNiro. The title song has since become a well-known classic. Here it is the final number and is a rousing finale. There are also other moments to enjoy in between the uninspired dullness of a very expensive Broadway production.

All the principals in this cast were enjoyable. Their storylines in David Thompson and Sharon Washington’s book are a mishmash of Big Apple dreams in post-WWII New York City. There are too many of them, they don’t coalesce into a cohesive whole and everything is flat. You enjoy the performers because they are good. You don’t care very much about the predictable story arcs which unfold.

The star-crossed lovers are Jimmy Doyle (Colton Ryan) and Francine Evans (Anna Uzele). He’s a musician and she’s a singer. A Star is Born is the blueprint. There’s a producer (Ben Davis) with mischief on his mind which causes a very hard to believe conflict in Act II. Will love between this surprisingly well-handled interracial relationship prevail? Start spreading the news.

The Diaz family are the immigrants in this melting pot. Mom Sofia (Janet Dacal) is married to an abusive man (Leo Montezuma). There is a par for the course gay subplot concerning their son (Angel Sigala). A Jewish violinist progidy (Oliver Prose) wants to go to Julliard. Will Madame Veltri (understudy Wendi Bergamini in the performance I saw) take him on as a student while she deals with her own traumas?

More characters fill this overstuffed melodrama. Jimmy’s sidekicks help him focus, including a memorable Clyde Alves as his best friend. Ensemble member Jim Borstelmann plays a slew of funny minor characters. Director and Choreographer Susan Stroman gives her large cast lots and lots people to play. Towards the end of this slog a pregnant woman and her husband cross the stage. There are millions of stories in the big city. Most of them are on this stage.

Beowulf Boritt’s scenic design won a Tony. The skyscraper scene is incredible both visually and contains the show’s most exciting number. The set contains many backdrops and voluminous scene changes. That may be one of the issues contributing to the boredom factor. Little dribbles of filler are everywhere connecting the not overly interesting storylines.

New York, New York is not bad just very, very boring. I enjoyed the entire cast, especially the leads. Mr. Ryan’s quirky and varied character was particularly fun to watch. The Kander and Ebb score from the film was supplemented by songs from their catalogue as well as an assist from Lin-Manuel Miranda. “Let’s Hear It For Me” from Funny Lady was a nice surprise. I remembered that movie as I was listening. That is not ideal.

www.newyorknewyorkbroadway.com

About This Reviewer - July 15, 2023

Life of Pi

My first encounter with Yann Martel’s magical story Life of Pi was listening to an audiobook on a long family trek to Williamsburg for Thanksgiving. A thirteen hour tale was so memorable that I can still hear narrator Vikas Adams’ pronunciation of the tiger character’s name “Richard Parker”. That was followed years later by Director Ang Lee’s extraordinary film.

This play was developed in England, transferred to the West End and won the Olivier for Best Play. A transfer to Broadway resulted in a Tony nomination for the play and wins for the technical designs. I was going to skip a visit to this one but decided to jump on board given the accolades.

I am sorry to report that this production does not satisfy in the storytelling department. The three main parts of the book are reorganized so the original mystery of survival is assured. The play does capture some of the philosophical elements but they are not the central purpose. As a result the story can often seem confusing (as happened with the one person with me who experienced this classic for the first time).

A family who owns a zoo in Pondicherry, India decides to emigrate to Canada with their animals in tow. They board a cargo ship which meets with disaster. The family’s son Pi manages to board a lifeboat. The only other survivors are a hyena, an orangutan and the Richard Parker, the tiger. The adventure involves this uncomfortable cohabitation.

The visuals are indeed impressive. The set transformation from Indian marketplace to cargo ship was effortless and superbly executed. The animals are all puppets and up to three humans manipulate them including hunching over as the tiger’s torso. The movement is a feast for the eyes.

Also noteworthy are finely tuned performances especially by Hiran Abeysekera in the title role. This tale is a marathon at sea. The staging is physically demanding and the storytelling has a great deal of wit in addition to the underlying drama. The performance was excellent from start to finish.

All that said – and there’s much good news about the production – this effort lacks clarity and depth. Perhaps I am too familiar with the brilliance of Mr. Martel’s original. The relativity of truth theme does come across nicely but the play seems adapted for people who already know the story. Yes there is magical realism on display but the glorious musings on life and humanity have to be filled in from memory since they are sketchily drawn here. Fans of eye-popping spectacle will definitely be entertained.

Life of Pi is running on Broadway through July 23, 2023.

www.lifeofpibway.com

About This Reviewer - July 13, 2023

Days of Wine and Roses (Atlantic Theater Company)

Once in a while you are fortunate enough to see something in a theater which is so stunningly performed that you cannot help but allow the magic to envelop your soul. Such is the case with the musical adaption of Days of Wine and Roses.

Craig Lucas adapted the book for this show from the original teleplay and well-known film. Adam Guettel, his co-creator of The Light In the Piazza, supplied the brilliantly complex and interesting music and lyrics. The material is about two people who spiral into full blown alcoholism. The songs let the characters open their minds and channel their feelings, no matter how ugly they may be.

Kelli O’Hara (The King & I, Bridges of Madison County) stars as Kirsten Arnesen. She sings in fourteen of the musical’s eighteen numbers, seven of which are solos. Her vocal prowess is well-known. Here she is in glorious form. The music seems complicated to perform and her mellifluous renditions of each and every one are utterly entrancing. Hearing such an exceptionally sung score by one of our theater’s leading actresses in a small off-Broadway house is a treat worth savoring.

Her acting chops are equally fine from the initial teetotaler to a plunging descent into a motel room bender. That scene was vividly staged and conveyed the horrors of this addiction so completely. This is not a feel good story despite all efforts by the two principals to keep trying to feel good.

Brian D’Arcy James (Something Rotten, Shrek) is her drinking buddy Joe Clay. He is already a business man party boy when the show commences. His aggressive ensnarement of Kirsten is another one of the show’s brutal honesties. That she follows him down so dark a path is inevitable due to beautifully paced storytelling. Mr. James is excellent, as usual, in a role which, as written, is far more developed than Ms. O’Hara’s.

This show does not leave you humming. That is not its intent. There are songs that stand out such as “Evanesce” which contains the memorable rhyme “to just say yes and evanesce”. Dropping out of normal existence aided by an abundance of alcohol is where these two will go. The story is heartbreaking with a father and daughter as witnesses to the searing tragedy unfolding in their lives.

The entire show is essentially written for the two leads but these additional characters allow us to immerse ourselves in the collateral damage. Byron Jennings and Ella Dane Morgan excel as family members who see the truth but are unable to truly change the situation. That’s not possible when our central couple wants just “a wee little dropsy” when falling off the wagon.

Director Michael Grief confidently steered the ship and the storytelling was in sharp relief amidst a hazy fog of sadness and despair. My one slight negative was Lizzie Clachan’s set design. The modernistic lighted panels felt too contemporary and distracting for what is essentially a chamber piece. That’s a quibble, however. The riveting greenhouse scene was an outstanding theatrical moment both visually and crucially to display the extent with which alcohol can subsume all control.

I do hope there is a recording of this unique musical. This one’s likely not heading to Broadway anytime soon. The material is far too dark for audiences looking for the familiar and a good time. Days of Wine and Roses exists for the rest of us who will gladly support massively talented artists with room to create challenging and exceptional art.

Days of Wine and Roses is running downtown at the Atlantic Theater Company through July 16, 2023.

www.atlantictheater.org

About This Reviewer - July 9, 2023

The Doctor (Park Avenue Armory)

The still raging battles between science and religion. The never ending chasm between Christians and Jews. A doctor’s oath to their patients. The politics of hospitals. Arthur Schnitzler wrote Professor Bernhardi in 1912 which was so contentious that the premiere happened in Germany not his own Austria. The Doctor is Robert Icke’s loosely adapted and vividly riveting adaptation.

Ruth Wolff is literally the top dog of this hospital. A patient is dying of sepsis from a botched self-administered abortion. Her family sends a priest to administer last rites. She refuses to let him in as the patient is dying and did not request the visit. Her obligation is only the medical well being of this young lady. A hundred years after this play was written the story is still relevant.

A media cyclone ensues and tensions escalate. The Executive Committee of the hospital is mixed in their support for its leader. The parents and the priest are in destruction mode. Careers are on the line; saving some while opportunistically elevating others. Personal and work life balance is addressed. Should we break our existence into smaller and smaller tribes whereby agreement is assured?

This full meal is expertly served by Mr. Icke as writer and director. Hildegard Bechtler’s sleekly modern set captures the sterile world of committees bereft of humanism and moneyed medical facilities. Lighting changes (Natasha Chivers) suggest additional scene locales notably Dr. Wolff’s home and a television studio. The production is handsome and appropriately cold.

For this modern retelling current hot buttons involving gender and sexuality are included. Both are handled frankly. They do not feel forced. As a result, the worries of yesterday are combined with those of today which might be predictive of the tribulations of tomorrow. There is a lot to sink your teeth into while absorbing this superbly executed staging.

Juliet Stevenson portrays the intensely devoted medical Doctor. Her performance is a towering achievement. There is heavy drama in the hardness of steadfast beliefs especially when those monumental walls begin to chip away. Every scene is believable and audience discomfort is assured.

John Mackey’s priest is equally self-righteous leading to the inevitable court of public opinion. That particular segment is as ugly as our television and social media outlets today. There is ingenious blind casting of race contained herein. Conclusions and conflicts are brought into stark relief as those revelations appear.

The entire cast is excellent. Jaime Schwartz’s Junior is a teenage maelstrom of emotions, trust and self-preservation. Juliet Garricks plays significant other Charlie with grace. Dr. Wolff is definitely a blowhard so the view into a homelife is welcome. Naomi Wirthner memorably inhabits the loyal Hardiman but also morphs into one of the enraged judges.

Witch hunt is the mood of this piece so the adaptation is timely. There is no simple solution offered. How you react to the material will depend on your own personal biases and beliefs. The Doctor has a lot to say and many themes to consider. A stellar presentation enhances the written word and the issues debated go around and around, never truly being resolved.

During COVID I saw Professor Bernhardi streamed from the excellent Schaubüehne theater company in Berlin. In Munich, I saw another adaptation written as Doktor Alici which included humor. The original play was sarcastically billed as a comedy in five acts. Mr. Schnitzler’s play is worth experiencing as long as these conflicts remain topical. I expect no movement on that front anytime soon.

The Doctor is running until August 19, 2023 at the beautiful and expansive Park Avenue Armory. Arrive early to view the historical rooms.

www.armoryonpark.org

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About This Reviewer - July 7, 2023

In Corpo

Corpo is “pleased to offer you a coffee tablet”. This futuristic new musical is for people who prefer their dystopian science fiction whimsical and often silly. In Corpo takes place in a world where climate change has devastated the land. Inside from the cold and working for Corpo is the road to happiness and fulfillment.

The plot is a mash up of a bunch of literary sources. Kafka’s The Castle contributes heroine K’s name and her struggle against arbitrary control. A Herman Melville short story informs the Bartleby character who prefers not to do his job assignments. If you consider the band Devo as a literary source (and I do) there is definitely a commandeered aesthetic enhancing this zany, slightly undercooked show.

K’s father sends her a message to come to Corpo. Navigating inside with her non-network device she discovers her father is missing. He was the nominal leader of section 13-G employees, a combination of humans and robots. The set up is fun and the many offstage voiceovers amuse. One robot comments “my banter plugin is still in the beta stage”.

Things proceed along quirkily as the existing employees try to figure out what to do since the boss is missing. A probational promotion without training access leads Bendemann (RJ Christian) to singing hysteria with his big vocals. This show really takes off in the middle of the first act. “Movement Mandatory” is a scheduled dance break to rejuvenate and empower forced team happiness. “No interoffice” work can occur during this important time. The choreography by lisa nevada is a spasmatic delight.

Storytelling is secondary to environmental commentary. There is a plot to fix the system. There are so many packets to process and the workload is overwhelming. Good efforts result in being awarded “flavor essences” such as avocado. “Yes!” is the hilarious exultation. The little asides drive the enjoyment of Ben Beckley and Nate Weida’s creative conception.

As in many sci-fi stories, detailed background information is not served. We don’t really know much about how the world got this way nor what Corpo does. That is perhaps the point here. In the future, after the climate has been trashed, the corporate state will keep people engaged in busy work so they don’t have the time or energy to think for themselves – or upset the status quo. That possibility is certainly not farfetched.

The creative team hit a few bullseyes with this effort. Kate Fry’s costumes are waggishly Devo-esque. The memorable Scenic Design by Nic Benacerraf is strikingly inventive and brilliantly conveyed this figurative world. Mary Ellen Stebbins lighting added bursts of color filled with variety as the scenes unfold. Sound Design (Asa Wember) was notably excellent. If you pay attention, there are many tiny noisy details and they were exceptionally well executed.

The “electro-folk-funk” score was tuneful and appropriate but the songs were a mixed bag. A game cast maintained a straight face throughout. Zoe Siegel’s K was rock solid and believable. The HR representative Pepi (Jessica Frey) displayed a good balance between corporate speak and not so hidden urges. Austin Owens Kelly was a standout as Bartleby. His movement, facial expressions and line readings had us all talking at intermission.

In Corpo is an Off-Broadway musical which entertains with far more imagination than a lot of the copycat offerings currently taking up space on Broadway. This story could also be a play and certainly be upsized as a television show. We have not had an imbecilic follow-up to a Lost In Space type sitcom. Perhaps that is overdue. Then we can all cheer for smiling robots since “Everybody Needs Assistants!” In Corpo is simply good fun. Grab your favorite flavor essence and enjoy.

In Corpo is running at Theatre Row until July 8, 2023.

www.bfany.org/theatrerow

About This Reviewer - July 3, 2023

We Can Do It & Silent Reflections (NC State University)

2023 National Women’s Theatre Festival (Part 3)

The mission of the National Women’s Theatre Festival is to create, produce, and promote extraordinary theatre by women and artists of all underrepresented genders with the ultimate goal of 100% parity in the US theatre industry. They gather artists from North Carolina and across the nation at their annual festival, helping to create a pipeline of extraordinary talent that will revolutionize theatre as we know it.

We Can Do It!

My Aunt Ronnie talked joyfully about her experiences during World War II as a Rosie the Riveter. The men went off to fight and women were called up to keep industries in motion. This short and thematically tight musical is about Daphna, a grandmother who had a similar story.

Daphna’s world was “cook, clean, hang it on the line” as described in the opening song. “Sweep the porch, hear the radio / Hold the baby, this is all we know”. Lyrics are focused and biting such as “I see the way he smiles at me / that’s my fame”. The war arrived and this world abruptly changed.

Instead of finding “a recipe to be a perfect wife” women picked up the torch and put “this pyrotechnic beauty in my hand”. Vividly written and confidently performed, this production beautifully chronicles this period with positivity, celebrates the trailblazing efforts and poignantly underscores the difficulties women still face today balancing career and family.

A virtual chorus of women on a projected screen supplement the tuneful guitar melodies. There are no lulls and the food for thought is plentiful with not a hint of bitterness. That does not mean the heartaches are avoided. Kenady Sean’s storytelling is too honest to let that happen.

Emotions about having a baby and simultaneously having a life are addressed head on. “Something’s Gotta Give” puts an exclamation point on that conundrum. 1941 sure did plant a seed. My Aunt Ronnie dutifully went back to housekeeping after the war. Others since have carved a different path.

We Can Do It! is a heartfelt acknowledgement of the trailblazers and a reminder that the important rights to choose remain complicated and very important.

Silent Reflections: A Clown-Noir Cabaret

“When I have a brand new hairdo” is a lyric from the song “I Enjoy Being a Girl”. This wry beginning perfectly sets the stage for a structurally interesting performance using a riff on the medium of silent movies. A series of wildly diverse stylizations are employed to make us reflect on women’s stereotypes.

Each segment has a subtitle. The targets speak for themselves. “Every Woman for Herself” imagines battling followed by bro-like chest bumps. Seated stop motion choreography while a clock ticks fill “Habitual Body Monitoring” until the bell literally tolls. A very dark cloud pointedly challenges the fairy tale notion that “Someday My Prince Will Come”.

“A Gentleman’s Interlude” amusingly skewers toxic masculinity and society’s overwrought calcification of what “a real man looks like”. Some of the moments are funny, some are meant to provoke while others are just perplexing. A section on baby rearing shows a jumble of phrases which are universally tossed around like “trust your instincts” and “do not vaccinate!”

A ranting song/poem/manifesto is called “Three Voices Speaking”. A list of everyday tools are repeated to dramatic effect. Cold creams, tweezers, wax, diffusers, crow’s feet, cellulite and body glitter are some examples cited. The mood darkens as women are urged to “squeeze it” and “sculpt it”. Then the zinger cuts deeply. “Blood clots and heat strokes… but your man will give you thanks”.

Silent Reflections holds a mirror to female insecurities, to societal pressures, to improbable expectations and to the damages that all creates. This live action silent film format nicely packages a mix of ideas. I did enjoy and “get” some scenes more than others. At the end, staring into their mirrors, I am certain these three women concluded that they did indeed do everything they wanted to do.

The 8th Annual WTF is running from June 22 through July 1, 2023 at North Carolina State University’s Frank Thompson Hall. Many performances are available online via livestream or prerecorded video.

www.womenstheatrefestival.com

About This Reviewer - July 2, 2023

Moon Glo & Reverie (NC State University)

2023 National Women’s Theatre Festival (Part 2)

Moon Glo

Having recently admitted out loud that I’ve just finished my first play at age 61, I was keenly interested in checking out Moon Glo. This script in development has been penned by 94 year old retired drama professor Patsy Clarke. The adage “write what you know” rings loudly here as the characters are her current peers.

Barbara is struggling with her new situation. After rehabilitation following a fall, she has been “put somewhere”. She refers to the Morningside nursing home as Moon Glo. “You can almost see but not quite”. “You can almost take care of yourself but not quite”. The language is evocative.

The group meets for dinner every day. The quibbles are routine and repeated lending an ear of authenticity while also providing multiple laughs about mandarin oranges. Serious issues such as dementia and Parkinson’s pepper these conversations.

Ms. Clarke has her character ask, “Do you think there’s any benefit talking about the mysteries of life?” After watching this nicely performed play, the answer should be yes. There are many people who would benefit considering how these women process past glories alongside the hard realizations of the inevitable approaching.

Extra kudos for the gorgeous monologue about Pockets the Clown and a momentary ray of sunshine from the wailing banshee. Barbara asks “Is there something beyond this life?” None of us know, indeed. Because we are still living, however, we can certainly experience all of it from start to finish if we are able and choose to do so.

Reverie

From 94 years old to the bright young age of 7, this next show at WTF is an original musical by Ashley Cooper. The definition of reverie is being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts. Daydreams feature prominently in this piece but there is also a palpable sense of grief and loss.

Genevieve is a smart, happy young girl. She and two friends open the show making up a song about Summertime. The mood is free spirited fun, filled with giggles and creative expression. When she arrives home we learn that her father is in “a healing place”. She misses him badly. Her 17 year old brother Gerald spills the beans that their father is dead.

Mom was in the business of protecting her too young daughter from facing this fairly recent tragedy. What follows is a study of the mental strain in processing an enormous emotional trauma. Genevieve begins obsessing on the captured cell phone memories with her Dad. The proximity to realness is heartwarming in its display of paternal love. These imaginary escapes become an outlet with both positive and negative aspects.

The book effectively conjures a world of this age group from preadolescent worries to classroom anxieties. Everyone seems realistic due to good performances. Details are a major plus such as the reference to Daddy’s “cocoa slides”. Imagery evokes a strong connection to closeknit relationships. Even more added color would pull these emotional souls into three dimensional depth.

Reverie feels more like a play with music than a musical. That may be because the storyline is such a serious exploration of what a tragic moment would mean to someone so very young. I was also forced to imagine (at a much older age) what it would be like to experience Genevieve’s grief with always available text messages, photos and videos at my fingertips. Reverie contains important dialogue about mental health and is impressively nuanced to reach a vulnerable age group.

The 8th Annual WTF is running from June 22 through July 1, 2023 at North Carolina State University’s Frank Thompson Hall. Many performances are available online via livestream or prerecorded video.