A harsh and beautifully produced play at
Harlequin
By Alec Clayton
 |
Frank Lawler and Colleen Litchfield, photo Photos by Jessica Weaver
The hard-hitting
two-hander Blackbird by David
Harrower at Harlequin Productions is emotionally draining and not
for everyone.
It begins with
shocking fury when Una (Colleen Litchfield), a 27-year-old woman, and Ray
(Frank Lawler), a 55-year-old man, storm into a horribly trashed conference
room in Ray’s business office — strewn with pizza boxes and trash and fast-food
containers. Ray and Una are at each other’s throats, and the tension is
unrelenting throughout the hour-and-a-half play. The complex reasons for the
tension unfold only gradually as they relive their past through accusation and
confession. Two decades earlier Ray sexually assaulted Una, and over all this
time she has nursed her hatred and he has wrestled with his guilt, both of
which explode on stage.
This production of
Blackbird as directed by New York-based guest director
Kimberly Loren Eaton is an
acting tour de force.
Interestingly, in
an extensive program director’s note, Eaton writes much more than is common
about the technical crew: scenic designer Bruce Haasl, lighting designer
Christina Barrigan, Costumer Jocelyn Fowler, sound designer Gina Salerno and
properties designer Rob Taylor, all of whom add immensely to the atmosphere and
sense of authenticity of the play. Their behind-the-scenes work grabs the
audience by its collective throat and does not let go.
Eaton says her
approach to Blackbird was “very much one of a female lens on the piece. I believe that every choice we make as storytelling artists is a
political act; that art and advocacy are inseparable… I'm particularly drawn to
stories relevant to major issues in the zeitgeist, which move social and
cultural conversations forward, to work which brings marginalized voices into
the mainstream, and to women-driven work.”
If there is any
doubt that Harlequin is a professional theater the equal of any big-city
companies, this play should dispel that error. Litchfield has starred in many
top New York shows and was a recent Best Leading Actress Award winner in the
SheNYC Festival. Lawler, a Harlequin veteran is an Equity actor who has
performed at Seattle Public Theatre, Taproot Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare
Company and many others. Eaton has extensive directing experience on New York
stages, including work with the producing teams of Fun Home (Broadway- 5
Tony Awards including Best Play, and National Tour), The Velocity of Autumn (Broadway),
and Freud’s Last
Session (Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Play).
Also appearing in
a brief but effective scene is 12-year-old Olympia actor Lola May Havens, most
recently seen as Small Allison in Fun Home at South Puget Sound Community
College.
Blackbird is an Olivier Award winner and was nominated for three 2016 Tony
Awards. Although not easy to take, it is theater at its best. Warning: there is
frank and graphic discussion of sexual situations. “Mature
Drama - Includes discussions of sex and sexual assault. Ages 14 and up, under
18 with guidance.”
Blackbird, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday,
2 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 14, $35,
$32 senior 60+/military, $20 student/youths Under 25, $12-$15 rush tickets
(half-hour prior to showtime), State Theater, 202 4th
Ave. E., Olympia, 360.786.0151, http://www.harlequinproductions.org/.
No comments:
Post a Comment