Boston University

REVIEW: Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ delivers humor and frivolity into an inspired true story

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

This time I chose comfort over a frilly dress for this Prom.

Similar to Maureen Keiller’s diva-esque Dee Dee Allen, my prom style resembled Allen’s stylish jumpsuits.  It is one of Zoë Sundra’s many festive, glittering and characteristic-defining costumes displayed in this production, especially highlighted by Janis Hudson as Angie in a sparkling and show shopping red dress.  I felt like I fit right in. 

Gary Thomas Ng*, Janis Hudson, Maureen Keiller*, Elias Robles, Davron S. Monroe* in Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

With lighthearted direction and occasionally sashaying choreography by Larry Sousa as well as upbeat Music Direction by Jordan Oczkowski, Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University rolls out the red carpet for musical comedy The Prom live and in person at Wheelock Family Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through June 8.  Wheelock Family Theatre boasts open captions that come in handy during the performance which runs two hours and 25 minutes including one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Since The Prom premiered on Broadway in 2018, it was adapted into a Netflix film that boasted an abundance of its own star power including Meryl Streep as Dee Dee and James Corden as Barry.  It has been brought to the stage locally over the last few years.  Inspired by a true story, anxious Emma, earnestly portrayed by Siri Manju, invites a date to the Prom with none other than Annie Parrinello as popular perfectionist Alyssa, the daughter of the head of the Parent Teacher Association.  However, their high school will not allow them to attend the prom together.  Once a group of egocentric Broadway celebrities get wind of this human interest story, they decide to make a difference in this small Indiana town.  

Annie Parrinello & Siri Manju in Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

The Prom is a satirical blend of inspired true story and over the top musical comedy set in New York as well as in Edgewater, Indiana.  It delivers humorous moments ranging from silly to satirical with a sincere and underlying message about helping others.

The Prom boasts strong vocals from an amiable cast and lauded local talent.  Maureen Keiller brings ego and attitude as Dee Dee Allan, a self absorbed award-winning actress.  Keiller’s powerful belt is on full display for It’s Not About Me and The Lady’s Improving.  Along with soaring vocals by Davron S. Monroe as warm and charismatic actor Barry Glickman, Gary Thomas NG as no nonsense and frazzled PR rep Sheldon, Elias Robles as openhearted Trent, and Janis Hudson as inspirational Angie Dickinson, these seemingly shallow thespians share some comical moments, but their real charm is exposed by the people they meet in this fish out of water production. 

Lauren Velasco O’Donovan, Arabella Hardgrave & Ensemble in Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal’s soft and cheerful multicolored lighting cleverly divides high school and theatrical scenes by illuminating vintage stage lights for celebrity numbers.  James Rotondo’s rolling and colorful set design are mainly set inside James Madison High School halls using some projections to transform settings from a 711 store front to a hotel to an Applebee’s.

David Jiles Jr.* & Maureen Keiller* in Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

The Prom deals with some serious topics including betrayal, but balances it well with the show’s overall optimistic tone.  It is positive throughout, even in the face of Emma’s most difficult challenges.  Siri Manju’s chiming vocals in the forlorn and self effacing number Just Breathe is a compelling revelation as well Manju’s sweet rendition of Unruly Heart while Jennifer Bubriski’s tight lipped delivery proves fitting for tough and controlling antagonist Mrs. Greene.  Emma’s high school classmates are painted as shallow and insensitive and as far as storytelling, it might have been nice to have at least one of them sympathetic to Emma’s plight from the start.

Janis Hudson & Siri Manju in Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

The Prom contains a wealth of welcome, inside Broadway references as well as symbolic choreography during the pivotal number, Tonight Belongs to You and It’s Time to Dance reflecting how the tide turns during the production.  Janis Hudson shines during the Fosse-inspired Zazz, an uplifting rendition delivering sparkle and encouragement.  Manju shares a touching rapport with both Hudson and Monroe, sure to make you smile. 

Annie Parrinello & Siri Manju in Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

As David Jiles Jr. as serious, compassionate and theatre loving Principal Hawkins reflects, “A distraction is momentary. An escape helps you heal.”  The Prom tells a complex and message driven story while also providing a temporary glittering escape from the realities of life. 

The full cast and crew of ‘The Prom’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University rolls out the red carpet for musical dramedy The Prom live and in person at Wheelock Family Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through June 8.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Boston Playwrights’ Theatre’s world premiere of Brandon Zang’s ‘Recursion of a Moth’ alongside world premiere of Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens’ ‘The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre recently presented two world premiere productions for BPT’s Spring Rep Festival.  Boasting some common themes, both are fitting companion pieces though one executes their ideas more fluidly than the other.

Both shows are rooted in preventing disaster and end the way they began with new meaning.  While one travels through time while the other roams through a cosmic plane, both shows are motivated through grief, trauma, and discovery while featuring key twists on the journey.  Both believe that changing their present circumstances will lead to better futures, but facing a world that cannot easily bend to their will.

Fear gives way to strength as one travels through space and the other among the stars.

Minou Pourshariati and Danny Bryck in ‘The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presented the world premiere of Brandon Zang’s Recursion of a Moth alongside Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens’ The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn for BPT’s Spring Rep Festival through Sunday, March 9 live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.  Both shows ran approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for BPT’s future events.

REVIEW:  A sky full of stars, transformation and resilience fuel Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens’ The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn

In a country entrenched in war, two children meet under a mystical fig tree.  One loves to sleep and the other constantly stands watch.  However, their purpose under this tree unveils in significant ways from what they share to what they face.

Directed by Nikta Sabouri, The Fig Tree,  and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn  by Isabelle Sanatdar Stevens is a mythological tale about love, grief, courage in the face of danger, war, loss, and unbreakable bonds.  Minou Pourshariati and Danny Bryck are cosmically and supernaturally connected and that connection is explored meaningfully as transformation takes place around them.

Taking place in August 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War, Danny Bryck as Javeed and Minou Pourshariati meet under a fig tree.  Mandana loves to sleep because she can speak to her late brother in her dreams while Javeed is afraid to sleep because he needs to stand guard to keep his family safe.  For these two children whose bravery is ingrained in fear, they seem to become old souls overnight. 

Danny Bryck and Minou Pourshariati in ‘The Fig Tree The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Skillfully taking on dual roles, Pourshariati and Bryck are adorable as children and revel in their roles sharing each other’s fears, prayers, anger and sadness as they struggle for certainty and to understand what is happening around them.  Irresistibly endearing building a unique bond and vowing to change the world they live in and beyond, inquisitive Mandana and virtuous Javeed instill playfulness, imagination, and joy into these complex performances enhanced by bright and affectionate choreography as they share their creativity, energy and boundless imagination amidst the turmoil.  Sporadically mature in thought and innocent in their approach, they squeal, leap and bounce in a stirring bitter sweetness during a serene interlude in a land where things can change at any moment as light and darkness are in constant battle.

Danny Bryck and Minou Pourshariati in ‘The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Lighting designer Grant Powicki and scenic design Cleo Brooks work together as twinkling lights, sunshine and glowing lanterns highlight a beautiful tree and wooded residential landscape which is unfurled by a retractable spool.  Shadows give way to surprises and bring to life their shared stories.  Sound designer Arshan Gailus is behind the immersive cosmic and natural harmony of this world.

The production contains a wealth of symbolism enmeshed in stories, objects, conversation and more.  Funny, touching, powerful, and poignant, The Fig Tree,  and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn is an affecting and thought provoking journey worth taking.

REVIEW:  Brandon Zang’s The Recursion of a Moth races against time

This is no way to document time. 

Directed thoughtfully by Katie Brook, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presented Brandon Zang’s sci fi drama The Recursion of a Moth.

It is the 25th century and a couple of time traveling bureaucrats and ex lovers are sent to document time and find a woman named Chrys for undisclosed reasons.  However, what transpires becomes far and away from what their mission entails into a journey rife with complications.

Alexander Holden and Jaime José Hernández in ‘The Recursion of a Moth’ Photo by Scornavacca Photography

Lighting designer Grant Powicki enhances Cleo Brooks’s simple black and white scenic design that colorfully depicts various dimensions and planes throughout the production. Fold out compartments depict a living room and kitchen as cast members change the props between scenes. Aubrey Dube’s radiating and moth-inspired clicking divide each scene while subtle and sparkling special effects drive this quantum leaping story.

Alexander Holden depicts resourceful time traveling bureaucrat Icarus heading to the Denver airport, his mysterious motivations behind a trench coat and glasses.  Jaime José Hernández portrays Mikey, a commitment phobic time bureaucrat dedicated to saving his family and completing their current mission.  However, Icarus has gone rogue with his own agenda to his timeline for good.

Alexander Holden and Jenny S. Lee in ‘The Recursion of A Moth’ Photo by Scornavacca Photography

The Recursion of a Moth explores generational patterns, family, the nature of suffering, and takes some liberties with time travel that becomes a bit too outlandish to be believable even if it would make for a nice story. Holden’s Icarus is obstinate and will stop at nothing to bend time according to his will while Hernández’s reasonable and grounded Mikey cannot help but remind him of time’s known limitations and consequences.  However, Icarus knows far more than he is letting on and longs to change time piece by piece for what may become a better future.

Alexander Holden, Jenny S. Lee and Jaime José Hernández in ‘The Recursion of a Moth’ Photo by Scornavacca Photography

Jenny S. Lee as Chrys, Alexander Holden and Jaime José Hernández all convincingly convey the production’s intensity at the mercy of time.  The moth’s role and recursion theory in this story is particularly fascinating.  Full of twists and quick turns which at times can be confusing, the show may have benefited by a longer runtime for further development of these characters and to give the revelations more breathing room.  The storyline winds into a major plot twist that seems too absurd to be believable even if it makes for a nice story. Recursion of a Moth has its bright spots, but especially under Back to the Future’s Doc Brown’s standards, certain twists would lead to a paradox. 

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presented the world premiere of Brandon Zang’s Recursion of a Moth alongside the world premiere of Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens’ The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn for BPT’s Spring Rep Festival through Sunday, March 9 live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and for Boston Playwrights’ Theatre’s future events.

REVIEW:  Wishing upon a ‘Soft Star’ at Boston Playwrights Theatre

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Somewhere in Minnesota, two best friends with a complex history each wish on what is deemed a soft star in the sky.  What develops over time will test the limits of their friendship and much more.

Contemplatively directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary, Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Tina Esper’s supernatural drama Soft Star through Sunday, November 24 part of the Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival.  This absorbing production runs 85 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

The cast of Tina Esper’s ‘Soft Star’ Photo by Amelia Cordischi

Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival features two new productions from living authors taking place on one stage and scenic designer Maggie Shivers continues to make distinctive use of the space for these two vastly different productions.  With fold out compartments that pose as couches, a barbecue grill and shelves, cast members transform the set and props between scenes from a beachside setting to a completely new landscape.  Zachary Connell’s starlit and warm lighting adds an ethereal quality to the production featuring lanterns and luminous creatures boosted by Kai Bolman’s mystical sound design.  Set within the span of the 70’s and 80s, E. Rosser’s colorful costumes depicts fashion trends of the time such as baby doll dresses, keds sneakers, and Henley shirts.

Annika Bolton and Mairéad O’Neill in Tina Esper’s ‘Soft Star’ Photo by Amelia Cordischi

A complex drama of jealousy, isolation, insecurity, secrets and longing, Soft Star is poignant and wistful as Jane and Belle search for a sense of belonging as they contemplate about the direction their lives have taken.  There is a real sense of uncertainty from these individuals as the show progresses. Annika Bolton as Jane, Jesse Kodama as Dick, Mairéad O’Neill as Belle and Kamran Bina as Mitch make up a tightly woven group that also share building tension and passive aggressiveness, especially among Dick and Mitch who are best friends working together as well as a palpable chemistry between Mitch and Jane.

What is wonderfully fascinating about Soft Star is how best friends Annika Bolton as Jane and Mairéad O’Neill as Belle’s connection and priorities mature and evolve over time.  From two coming of age girls to established women, Esper’s script explores the transforming interests of these individuals and at the same time, depicts how some reflections on their lives never change. 

Annika Bolton in Tina Esper’s ‘Soft Star’ Photo by Amelia Cordischi

With an elements of magic and mysticism, Soft Star is an intriguing and imaginative drama fueled by Esper’s layered script which unfolds from a straightforward narrative to how life becomes immensely complicated through circumstances and when other emotions take hold.  Emotions that linger and ripen even as people mature exasperated by a wish. 

Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Tina Esper’s supernatural drama Soft Star through Sunday, November 24 part of the Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival.  The show runs 85 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Money is king in Maggie Kearnan’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos’ at Boston Playwrights Theatre

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

How much is that going to be?

Let’s talk about billionaires, gargantuan amounts of money and how to use it.

At least, that is what Becca A Lewis as sleuth Forbes journalist Cherry Beaumont has on her mind in a mysterious interview with Jeff Bezos as he faces a federal case against him in the year 2030.  Accompanied by narrator and fact checker Robbie Rodriguez at the ready, How NOT to Save the World with Mr. Bezos is a deep dive into wealth, envy, greed, and blind rage as lines gradually blur between fact, falsehood and fiction. 

With unsteady direction by Taylor Stark, Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Maggie Kearnan’s How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos at Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 24.  This interactive production contains graphic adult themes and runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival features two new productions from living authors taking place on one stage and scenic designer Maggie Shivers certainly makes distinctive use of the space for two vastly different productions.  Multicolor light streams through adjustable windows in a modern office setting but Courtney Licata’s props are the real kicker which includes red solo cups.   Anna Drummond’s immersive sound design with Zachary Connell’s foreshadowing light design proves effective as the production intensifies.

Mark W Soucy in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

With a biting and abrupt laugh and in a vest which seems more like a life preserver, Mark W. Soucy depicts a confident, expeditious yet preoccupied Bezos full of humble brags and word play until the stakes get high.  Lewis as Cherry is lively, amusing and occasionally unhinged in a three piece suit and black sneakers.  Soucy and Lewis spar with engaging flair as both vie for the upper hand as impressive fact checker Robbie Rodriguez works overtime taking the audience temporarily in and out of the production to clarify each character’s statements. 

Mark W Soucy and Becca A Lewis in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

How to NOT Save the World is fueled by some jaw dropping facts about wealth and offers quite the perspective of how much money billionaires really possess.  Among some of the most fascinating are it would take 570 years to spend Bezos’s wealth if Bezos spent 1 million dollars a day or the value of a 430,000 house means just 32 cents to him.  It also offers even handed facts about Bezos’s life.  At one time, he was the most powerful person in the world. 

Mark W Soucy Becca A Lewis and Robbie Rodriguez in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

However, the show begins to veer off course and some of the most absurd parts of the production, which infuses a classic tune, do not seem to fall as they should and comes off rather unnecessarily as the interview takes an unexpected turn. 

Becca A Lewis and Mark W Soucy in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Amazon executives have a room where they can let out a primal scream during the holiday season and by the end of the production, I was ready to do so, but not for the reason the show encourages.  As one toils at work especially with this inflation, it is difficult for the average person to get ahead.   As satirical as the show may suggest, it relies on a society so enraged it cannot see past its most base instincts to supersede every other reasonable thought and bereft of hope for a bleak future.  Shouldn’t humanity get more credit than that?

Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Maggie Kearnan’s How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos live and in person at Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 24.  This interactive production contains adult themes and runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  ‘Driving in Circles’ a winding and resilient concert journey at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Now here is something refreshingly different.

Directed with energizing flair by Sam Plattus, innovative sound design by Gage Baker and cleverly written and performed by Jay Eddy, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents Driving in Circles live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, April 6.  This new, deeply personal concert-style work is 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Jordan Palmer Zach Fontanez and Jay Eddy in Driving in Circles Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Infusing storytelling, relatable humor, and a fascinating blend of hard hitting and uplifting original music, Everett-born Jay Eddy as Jill/Bill is a witty individual who has faced a daunting set of physical and emotional challenges at a young age.  Eddy is raw, honest, funny, and self deprecating tackling trauma at its core as well as the aftershocks of these events demonstrated in a catchy opening number that explains how to survive an earthquake.  Eddy counts backwards in time at the prevalent ages in which Eddy endured these hardships.

Jay Eddy on guitar in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Scenic designer Danielle DelaFuente with set construction by Carly Stegall has fittingly set up a highway rest stop with a dart board, colorful vintage license plates and vinyl records.  A hanging pink bathrobe is just one of the significant Easter eggs shown on Eddy’s reflective journey.  Wearing red eye shadow and white boots, Jay Eddy, keyboardist Jordan Palmer, and guitarist Zach Fontanez sport similar blue uniforms by costume designer Eric Tran as they perform on a staged road while lighting designer Kevin Fulton sets an atmospheric vibe including twinkling lights and multicolored linear array lights that illumine each performer’s space.

Jay Eddy sharing a humorous weather report in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Driving in Circles is essentially an emotionally-charged concert road trip through a variety of beautiful and traumatic events that have shaped Eddy’s life.  It is powerful, sad, and disturbing at times, but is also hopeful, charming and lighthearted on this unpredictable road to healing.  This is not lighthearted fare and the material is a bit too serious to be considered standup, but Eddy’s enthusiasm and interactive style is relatable, warm, sincere, and funny.  Sharing home movies creatively projected by Maria Servellón, Eddy is not limited to the stage and engages the audience in a compelling manner that makes you feel a part of her journey brimming with detours, twists and turns on past road trips and misadventures that include destinations such as Seattle, Nashville, Vermont and Maine.  Driving in Circles contains plenty of local references and Eddy shares a compelling and relatable tale getting lost on the road in what should have been a simple trip to the dentist.

Jay Eddy in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Eddy’s original electronic music is performed on the spot as lead vocals in a three piece band.  Eddy is a master on the audio board expertly delivering vocals and sound effects while keyboardist Jordan Palmer and guitarist Zach Fontanez enhance this dynamic blend of lively songs.  Eddy is a powerful, edgy and expressive singer and it is amazing to listen to it navigated through the audio board, but Eddy’s bare vocals are also incredibly affective.  Shrill Woman, Time Traveler, Another Day, the soothing You’ll Feel Better with Fontanez delivering a notable guitar solo, uplifting The Dog Days of Summertime and hopeful The World is Ending Anyway are just a few highlights.

Jay Eddy in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo Credit Scornavacca Photography

A perceptive work with plenty of heart, Driving in Circles is a powerful and original work about resilience and hope even through harrowing events.  Eddy demonstrates music’s healing power through art as well as the music that helped Eddy cope from artists such as Simon and Garfunkel and Tom Petty.   After all, Driving in Circles can still lead to beautiful destinations.

Jordan Palmer, Jay Eddy, and Zach Fontanez in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Directed with energizing flair by Sam Plattus, innovative sound design by Gage Baker and cleverly written and performed by Jay Eddy, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents Driving in Circles live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, April 6.  This new, deeply personal concert-style work is 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Exiled Theatre’s disquieting and fuzzy trilogy thriller ‘Hauntings I Have Lived Through’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Three lost women.  One embraces it, one denies it, and one leans into it.

In their first show since the pandemic, Exiled Theatre presented Hauntings I Have Lived Through, a trilogy thriller that took place live and in person at Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 19.  Written and directed by James Wilkinson, the show was 80 minutes without an intermission.  Click here for more information on future performances.

From L to R: Laura Crook Waxdal, Morganna Becker, and Alex Alexander in Exiled Theatre’s ‘Hauntings I Have Lived Through’ Photo credit to James Wikinson

The set, which included a water pitcher and empty glass on a wooden desk sitting on top of a colorful Egyptian rug, is simply staged but each character handles the set differently.  The harp-laden eerie music fits the ominous aura between scenes.

Hauntings I Have Lived Through may hint at a collection of ghost stories especially since it was delivered just after Halloween, but this is not entirely the case.  Three separate women recall enduring unique types of trauma.  However, coping with occasional moments of dark humor, their reactions are relatable even in the darkest of circumstances. 

In The Hanging Tree, an increasing anxious and somewhat disheveled woman approaches the desk.  She admits to coming off a tough breakup, though the breakup is mostly incidental to this woman’s real story. The real story develops from an offhanded remark about a mysterious Sycamore tree in her woodsy backyard of a house she is becoming increasingly uncomfortable residing in.  With darting eyes, increasingly shaking hands, and a pale and stricken expression as she utters the anxiety laden yet humorous remark, ‘Pause for effect’ is effective as a rare light in Alex Alexander’s character’s bleak testimony before veering into an unpredictable direction.

Alex Alexander in Exiled Theatre’s ‘Hauntings I Have Lived Through’ Photo credit to James Wilkinson

Morganna Becker’s character has been through a lot, but her frank, sarcastic and chatty tone hints of denial as she recalls a macabre event in the show’s second part, Nora (All Over).  This chapter is a bit muddled and at times difficult to follow, but there is no denying that this woman has also been through defining trauma.  As Becker recounts her story as if incidentally recalling the difficulties of a typically tough day, there is a fear behind her engaging yet guarded demeanor.  This story is particularly graphic and gory while Becker takes it in as if she is a spectator in her own life.  Her subtle fear keeps her sympathetic as if she will at any minute grasp the gravity of what she has experienced.

Morganna Becker in Exiled Theatre’s ‘Hauntings I Have Lived Through’ Photo credit to James Wilkinson

The finale, The Dark Lady Gospels, delves into experienced trauma, but does not seem to belong with the other parts of the trilogy.  Laura Crook Waxdal delivers a strong performance as a twisted evangelist, but this compassionate woman does not practice what she preaches.  This part seems more parlor trick and diatribe than what could have been a meaty exploration into this complicated and abandoned woman’s character.  Perhaps her practices are a veiled attempt to cope with trauma, but even so, what she preaches seems beside the point and bereft of hope.  As a woman with a considerable amount to live for, it does not fit squarely into the show’s premise and gradually strays too far from its focus hinging more on fear than exploration.

Laura Crook Waxdal in Exiled Theatre’s ‘Hauntings I Have Lived Through’ Photo credit to James Wilkinson

Exiled Theatre presented Hauntings I Have Lived Through, a trilogy thriller that took place live and in person at Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 19.  Written and directed by James Wilkinson, the show was 80 minutes without an intermission.  Click here for more information on future performances.