I really loved the feeling of this show. Usually I like shows that feel natural and true to life, but I feel like this production had a compelling mix of a heightened situation with grounded relationships and emotion. This balance made me love the characters, but at the same time let the show be funny and over-the-top. I loved how all of the characters were so confrontational and big; everyone was trying to be the center of attention all the time. This also shows the high stakes for the characters: everyone wants something and they will do just about anything to get what they want. There was a guest named Christopher Wren (Alex Goodrich) who had grown to be one of Mollie's favorites because they share an interest in analyzing people. He has an immediate dislike for Mrs. Boyle (Carolyn Ann Hoerdemann) and every time he walks into the room, he has some comment for her. She is another exaggerated character; she is very judgmental about the amenities of the manor and continuously is talking about how much better other hotels are. Mollie and Christopher seem to have a real relationship where they care about each other, despite the fact that he is such an over-the-top person. They bond over their mutual dislike for Mrs. Boyle, and actually grow to have a friendship that feels real and grounded. In a show that is farcical like this one, especially when there are life-or-death situations, I feel it is important to have characters that have relationships that the audience cares about.
Most characters in this play could be considered "odd" in the 1950s. It is as if, following the war, everyone is becoming less filtered. Mrs. Boyle is very headstrong and opinionated and does not submit to authority cheerfully. Mr. Paravicini (David Cerda) is very extravagant and exuberantly bares his knees to the cold and the world. Miss Casewell (Tina Muñoz Pandya) is very comfortable in her surroundings, not trying to be prim or proper. She wears traditionally masculine clothes and is confident in her opinions. Christopher Wren is flirtatious and unabashedly himself, not worried about seeming masculine. There is also a group of characters who seem to be more "normal" than everyone else. Major Metcalf (Lyonel Reneau) is a remnant of the war and still carries himself as he did in the military and is purposeful in everything he does. Giles and Mollie seem to be a lovely, traditional married couple. She seems at first like a traditional housewife, cooking and cleaning, and he does the chores of a handyman. Detective Sergeant Trotter is very focused on finding out who the murderer is and is very professional. But none of these people are as normal as they appear at first. The "odd" characters seem to represent society's anxieties about breaking gender norms and encouraging freedom of expression. But the "normal" characters show that outwardly meeting society's expectations does not mean that things will return to the conservative ideas of the "good old days."
The comedy in this show was so dark and perfectly timed. I also loved how oblivious everyone was, it added to the hilarity when a character was missing something obvious or not realizing how ridiculous the situation was. At the beginning of the show, Giles comes home and his wife picks up his coat, scarf, and hat at the exact moments the voice on the radio is describing the garments of the murderer and they match exactly. Her timing was so amazing which is what made it hilarious. The universal suspiciousness of everyone's behavior was also very funny. Mr. Paravicini was not very helpful when it came to the fears of the other guests about their possible impending murders. He was going around the premises singing and playing three blind mice, which is the song that the murderer has chosen as their theme. During the interrogation, every character is doing something suspicious, but synchronous with everyone else being suspicious, so no one notices. The characters all also frantically and nervously unwrap candies, very noisily, until the detective has to take the candies away. I thought this was very funny because it was a callback to the announcement theaters usually make at the beginning of the show about not unwrapping candies during the show. Here, unwrapping candies is one of the most suspicious things the characters do in the show.
People who would like this show are people who like comedy paired with murder, unfiltered post-war weirdos, and suspicious candy wrappers. I think this is an absolutely hilarious and delightfully twisting show. I loved it.
Photos: Michael Brosilow
The relationship between The General and Bianca was disconcerting. I feel like this relationship reflects troubling dynamics within society, specifically in the workplace. The General wanted Bianca to feel safe within the relationship, but because of the power dynamic (he is a person who can influence if she is going to live until the next day or not), she cannot really feel safe. In the first scene where we see them interact outside of the cell I noticed how normal The General was trying to make the meeting even though this situation was the least normal it could be. As the meeting continued and got more sexual, Bianca started to feel uncomfortable and once it had gone too far for her, she spoke up. The general tried to say it was okay and work around it so he could still get what he wanted, but she kept shutting him down until he started interrogating and yelling at her. Finally, she gave in out of fear. I thought that this scene exemplified exactly everything that was wrong with the relationship. Because he holds so much power and loves to use it, he brought the dynamic into the relationship to feel powerful. But because Bianca also knows how much safer she is, she doesn't want to lose that, so she does what he wants even if it isn't best for her. The general doesn't know how smart Bianca is and how she knows when she is being manipulated and can use that to her advantage. I also really liked having Lt. Sawyer as a character because he seemed so vulnerable and caring, but as the show progresses he starts to become more violent and unfriendly because he has to follow orders in order to climb the power ladder to safety. Having both of these characters in the story showed the "before and after" of how power changes people in a society run by hungry men.
The friendship that the three women almost accidentally strike up is very intriguing and bittersweet. They are all vastly different people. Elyse is a strong revolutionary, Corrine is a follower of the leaders, and Bianca is a person who knows when to take advantage of a moment and when to submit. When they first meet they all have a reason not to like each other, but as they all start to get tired of the bad treatment and the fear they realize that they have to stick together in order to make a point and help the rest of the world survive. I love the character of Elyse for so many reasons: she is strong, powerful, smart, and so interesting to watch. I really loved the scene between Bianca and Elyse because I feel like it shows a side of Elyse we don't see anywhere else. We get to see Bianca be vulnerable throughout the show because we get to hear her thoughts when she is speaking to her baby bump, but in Bianca and Elyse's scene together we get to see Elyse caring about a person outside her own family for the first time. We know about her kids and we see how much they meant to her which makes this conversation about being a "good mom" even more heart-wrenching. Elyse sees how impossible Bianca's situation is, and she affirms her and helps her to see that she can be as brave as Elyse is. I think that this is what makes a truly fascinating character; when you have someone who has had so much loss and is so powerful in such a profound way like Elyse is, it is very emotional to see her come out from behind the wall that has been keeping her emotions and fear from coming out in order to help someone. It is moving to see her let herself not be stern but to witness her lending what her pain has taught her to others.
People who would like this show are people who like strong female revolutionaries, projecting societal issues into a new storyline, and utopian mom talks. I think that this is a gorgeously written, directed, and performed show. It tells such a profound story in such a heartfelt and real way.
Photos: Michael Brosilow
I thought that the dynamic between the two lovers was very interesting but heartbreaking to watch. They very clearly had a lot of love and attraction towards each other, but they didn't know how to express that in a way that wasn't fueled by passion, not just in the romantic sense but in the sense of anger. They had such tension between them at all times that it was hard to tell at first what it was motivated by. As the play went on you get to see the couple in many different testing situations and really get an understanding of what their go-to diffusing strategy is for the other person. I realized that they are both people who know how to get what they want and are very determined to get it, which causes a lot of quickly heated arguments. This was the main thing that showed me why this relationship was so dysfunctional. Both of these people went all-in with each other and are both forces to be reckoned with, which causes them to do things that completely ignore the other person's wellbeing. When there are two people in a relationship who think that they deserve everything the way they want it, it causes no one to get what they want. In the end this leaves unresolved arguments that seem to never die. I think this is why this boat trip seems to be such an uncontrolled disaster at times; it's because deep down they love each other and rely on each other, but that boat can't hold the weight of their egos which causes every unresolved argument to rise to the surface.
These women love each other very much and this is immensely clear through each of the actor's performances. Their performances also showed all the layers to the relationship that clouded the love. Both of these things were enhanced by the intimacy (directed by Gaby Labotka), which seemed very real and vulnerable in very specific ways. I think that something that this play and these actors attack really effectively is loving someone vs being good for someone. I think that one of the reasons that this play keeps this question lingering in the air for so long is because it leaves the biggest question unanswered and lets other immediately pressing matters guide the characters and the audience away from the thing the couple has been avoiding for years. When the playwright puts the audience in a similar-feeling place as the characters it lets the viewer understand how scary a question that is and how many things an answer could change. I think that what scares the couple the most is not having that constant (their relationship) in their life and if they are unhappy they find ways to make sure they can have their constant and also get what they aren't getting from their partner.
I think that the setting of the boat is a big reason for why this all comes out on this trip. While they are feeling literally trapped, they are coming to terms with being figuratively trapped. This idea of being trapped and scared of what being trapped means is enhanced by the set. The set by Joe Schermoly is very immersive and again puts the audience in the world and feeling of the characters. The set itself is very beautiful, but it is made out of broken things, which I think symbolises the relationship very well. By the end of the play, as the couple is reflecting on the things that made their relationship beautiful and what made them fall for each other, the set starts to have a glow about it (lighting design by Rachel Levy). This made these moments even more moving because I felt like that glow was not literal to their surroundings but was more about Betty and Kendra rediscovering that glow. I don't think that them finding the things they love about each other is going to "save" the relationship, but I think it is a beautiful moment of change that is left unspecified for a reason, and the set just amplifies how beautiful and sad broken things can be.
People who would like this show are people who like immersion, boats bringing out the best and worst in people, and beautiful broken things. I thought that this was an absolutely gorgeous show. The technical elements and emotion were spot on. It had very complex characters that exemplified how people show love in many different ways. I loved it.
Photos: Michael Brosilow
Once upon a time I went to a show and it was called Once On This Island. The book and lyrics were by Lynn Ahrens based on the novel "My Love, My Love" by Rosa Guy. The music was by Stephen Flaherty. The choreographer was Camille A. Brown, the music director was Chris Fenwick, and the director was Michael Arden. It is the story of Ti Moune (Courtnee Carter), a girl orphaned during a storm who is raised by Mama Euralie (Danielle Lee Greaves) and Tonton Julian (Phillip Boykin), an older couple who find her. As a teenager, she rescues Daniel (Tyler Hardwick), a young man who gets in a car crash near her village. She magically heals him and then follows him back to the city where he lives as a member of the ruling class on the island. She stays with him as his lover, but soon discovers that she has not fully understood their relationship. It is about belief, community storytelling, and sacrificial love. This musical has gorgeous performances, fun songs, and a vibrant look.
I don't feel like the songs in this musical are made to be remembered individually. I feel like all the songs together make an intriguing story that is great to listen to. The songs convey the atmosphere so well; they convey the love that is on this island. I hardly ever felt the song was changing to another song; I just was following the story and taking in the music as a vessel for it. A few of the songs that stood out to me the most were "Waiting for Life," "Rain," and "Mama Will Provide." They moved from telling an overall story to being character driven. "Waiting for Life" is one of the best what-I-want songs I've heard. It is so specific to exactly what Ti Moune wants, and I feel like it fits her personality very well. It trampolines her into the rest of her life because all she wants is to get in a car and drive away and feel free and fall in love. But once she starts to fall in love she realizes it is not freedom at all because there are sacrifices she feels obligated to make because of her devotion.
I think the song "Rain" is a lot more character-driven than it may at first appear because it is
the water god Agwe (Jahmaul Bakare) trying to prove his point that love is stronger than death. It isn't about him, which is unusual for a god because when I think of gods I think of entities who think they are better than everyone else. I think it is interesting that this god's first song is motivated by his own gain but is focused on other people as well and how people relate to each other. These gods are very fixated on one person, Ti Moune, and have actually grown to care about her. "Mama Will Provide" shows that very clearly. Asaka (Kyle Ramar Freeman), mother earth, sings to Ti Moune about how she wants her to succeed while the islanders and other gods dance around her. I thought it was a really nice way of showing how the gods, except for death demon Papa Ge (Tamyra Gray), that is, Agwe, Asaka, and Erzulie (Cassondra James) care about Ti Moune and all know their place in the world and the limits of their power and how they work together to make life. Death is shown not only as a cruel ending, but something that can lead to beautiful things like the story. I think Papa Ge realizes that the gods care about Ti Moune and instead of being a demon of death, Papa Ge become more like the gods. Death's importance is not the aspect of cruelty but the aspect of endings bringing new beginnings. Death is an important part of life, and our lives would be very different if it didn't exist. I think it is an interesting way to portray death, showing it in the traditional scary light and then, through character development, showing it as a natural, beautiful part of life.
I really like this musical, but I feel like the message that the story within the musical is telling is disturbing. Ti Moune gives up her entire life for a man and dies waiting for him, even though he has explicitly rejected her. I thought the song "Some Girls" was actually very messed up because Daniel sings about how there are different girls essentially for different services. He is not willing to give up anything for love; love is supposed to serve him. Sacrifice seems to be a requirement for women in love, but not for men. This story romanticizes the idea of not just being in love but being a victim of love. This is a dangerous idea because it shows women that it is okay for them to put themselves last even to the point of their own destruction. I thought that the child actor who played the Little Girl (Mimi Crossland) was very talented and fun to watch as she was told the story, but it made me sad to think of a little girl making the same decisions as Ti Moune and thinking of them as expected of her. It seems like the gods that love Ti Moune are no match for the patriarchy, which is very depressing to think about.
People who would like this show are people who like beautiful storytelling through music, talented performers, and demon character development. I think this is a mesmerizing show. It has so many interesting elements--dance, music, storytelling, costume, and set--that made the island seem magical and real. It made me think a lot and I also enjoyed it. I had a blast and it made me feel more intensely than I expected.
Photos: Joan Marcus
