Springtime
Reviewed by Jennifer Walton
The vibe is a taut relationship drama that will leave you with an unshakeable unease.
As the audience enters, we are confronted with the outline of a box constructed by metal beams. Within the box, the two characters shift positions as time passes and as if there is no comfort to be found here. There is no personal space, and nowhere to hide. We learn that May and June are being hidden away from the state - they have transgressed in some way and the box they are locked away in is keeping them safe. Alive. But what kind of life is this? Their benefactor is a farmer that is being paid for keeping them, feeding them, and tending to their needs however marginally. But even though they are being kept safe from persecution, are they safe from this farmer we hear through muffled sounds above the box, are they safe from each other? From themselves?
Springtime is written by Katie Lawrence, an award winning writer. It shows. I’m a fan of plays that pose more questions than they answer. Lawrence has created a world on stage that she drops us right into and it is as tight and compressed as that box the characters are living in. Lawrence also plays May and her counterpart, June is played by Kendra Cordick. We don’t know who these characters are before they come to live in the box, but there are glimpses. This relationship is co-dependent to the extreme. They are depending on each other for survival. They pass time by playing, talking, griping, and yet none of it is mundane chatter. One thing that struck me powerfully was that humans can adapt to anything to survive, and that as time passes, the heinous choices that must be made become routine, and we become inured to inhumanity.
The performances by Lawrence and Cordick are stellar, the directing by Shailynn Pierre-Dixon is taut and unflinching. The stage, lighting, and sound design support the vision of this piece effectively. There is a projection element to this show that, on opening night, failed to work and I’m sorry I didn’t get to see it. But the good news is, nothing was lost in the impact and that says a lot.
Go see this show. Their opening night was poorly attended and they deserve an audience for their excellent work. You’ll be shook, but you won’t be disappointed.
Age Suitability: Mature (ages 18+)
Warnings: Sexual Content, Coarse Language, Violence
Special Performances: Mask-Mandatory Performance
Genre: Theatre—Drama
Playwright
Katie Lawrence
Director
Shailyn Pierre-Dixon
Starring
Katie Lawrence and Kendra Cordick
