Alison was a teacher in the Blue Ridge school system but has been ordered by a court to live in a church halfway house. Her romantic involvement with the principal went sour so she bashed his car with an axe. The play opens with her arrival to this group, her new home for six months. She carries a truckload of rage, sarcasm, defense mechanisms and an inability to sit still. As played by the (seemingly always) superb Marin Ireland (Summer and Smoke, Ironbound, reasons to be pretty), she may be off-putting, or even repulsive, but her deeply wrought emotional scars are in full view.
The house is run by Hern (Chris Stack) and Grace (Nicole Lewis) who keep the peace, get their charges part-time employment and run Bible classes where sharing is encouraged. This story takes place in western North Carolina’s hillbilly country. The current residents include Cherie (Kristolyn Lloyd) and Wade (Kyle Beltran), both dealing with substance abuse problems. What makes Blue Ridge compelling theater is its flawed cast of characters, each of whom is struggling with some personal demon. Directed by Taibi Magar (Underground Railroad Game, The Great Leap), everyone in this stellar cast adds critical layers of personality and feeling to the spoken words.
The play expertly moves time along with simple changes to set decorations (Halloween, Thanksgiving) as we watch relationships develop and evolve. Cole (Peter Mark Kendall) is the next to arrive after Alison. He appears to be a variation on the dim white young man. Playwright Abby Rosebrock has a lot to say about the treatment of women by men, particularly by those in power. Rather than make this play an easy to swallow, one-sided feminist rager, Ms. Rosebrock writes much deeper levels of anguish in her character’s troubled souls. As a result, the complexities of unravelling their motivations, desires and dreams continue to surprise and disturb until the very end.
Why Blue Ridge? I presume that blue is the mood and ridge signifies an edge. The sharp, dangerous edge on the side of a mountain where these humans are trying to avoid another fall. As one might imagine, success does not come easily in this psychological group study of individuals searching for meaning, self-worth and personal happiness. The Bible is used as a means to help analyze and inspire. Given some of their personal quandaries, I found myself once again convinced that revered book does not have all the answers.
This play is not filled with simple exposition. There were some older theatergoers vocally complaining that they did not understand what was happening, particularly in the latter stages. Blue Ridge requires one to pause, to think, to observe, to question, to consider and to feel a wide range of emotions and thoughts. You will laugh along with this dark comedy. You will also be moved as to why and how difficult it is for some people to safely escape the Blue Ridge.