BY MATEO MORENO

In 1907, a young woman disappeared. She experienced a hard life; her mother was committed and her father died in a traffic accident. Still she found a life inside the Catholic Church, who embraced her, raising her into a fine young woman. She embraced the Catholic Church back and became a Nun. Her name was Sister Mary Janina and in the community she looked after, she was well liked and hard working. But only a year into her stay in Isadore, she went missing and her murder went unsolved and the truth of what happened that night stayed hidden for ten years. So what was the tragedy of this young, vibrant presence in the Catholic Church? And how did a young Priest figure into all of this? That’s the questions that are raised in the play The Runner Stumbles, recently revived by Retro Productions.

Christopher Patrick Mullen stars as Father Rivard, a young priest presiding over a small town in Solon, Michigan. His life takes quite a turn when he meets Sister Rita (Casandera M.J. Lollar) and they bond almost immediately. The middle aged housemaid Mrs. Shandig (Heather E. Cunningham) doesn’t quite like their bond, yet keeps it to herself. However, she’s not the only one who notices their closeness. The school children talk about it and Rivard and Rita find themselves wondering about it as well. What is slowly happening between them will cause quite a stir, and may unravel the very town they were sent to help out. Mullen is pitch perfect as the young priest who tends to question authority and think outside the box (a notion that’s not appreciated at all in the early 1900’s Catholic Church). His portrayal of the young priest is moving and striking, and the yearning inside of him is subtle but very real. The same can be said for Lollar’s portrayal of Sister Rita. Her tender personality shines in the character, and her performance ranges from compassionate and tender to heartbreakingly sad. It’s quite a feat to take on roles like this, and they both do it with gusto and ease. Peter Zinn’s direction is sharp and fluid and the rest of the cast all have great moments, including Heather Cunningham’s soft spoken take on Mrs. Shandig, Nat Cassidy’s sleezy Prosecutor, and quite comic touches by Ric Seachrest as the Defense. The play tells a section of a story that I had never heard of before and never treats it as melodrama, instead giving it all the compassion and dignity it deserves.

The House of Bernarda Alba was the final play written by Federico Garcia Lorca. It’s a powerful piece, and one that has not one male character in it, building on the sexual tension throughout. It’s been presented in many ways in recent years, from it’s original text, films, a ballet, and a musical by Michael John LaChiusa. The basis of the plot centers around Bernarda Alba, a recently widowed woman who holds a strong hold and control over all of her five daughters and the entire house. They are all still mourning the loss of the head of the family, and throughout the play, many things are brought to light, including an unknown affair. A new, abstract version titled Alba recently played at the Gene Frankel Theatre to beautiful, if sometimes mixed results. Overall, the piece was beautiful and immensely creative. Several of the actors played the same role, appearing on stage at the same time (both Sarah Doudna & Sharon Hunter played Bernarda Alba for instance). Having a duo of women each play various characters leaves a staggering, beautiful effect, but at the same time often drags scenes on a bit long and staggers instead of charging the scene ahead. Still, the result more often shines, and Director Glory Kadigan and Choreographers Joe Barros and Laura Brandel deserve much of the credit, as well as the terrifically talented ensemble.

Shining brightly were Tatiana Gomberg as Ponicia, the head servant. Her scenes are fast and funny, moving when needed, and Gomberg breathes much life into a role that, in less skilled hands, could simply be a blank exposition character. The same can be said for Dana Hunter, who appears briefly as another servant, but commands a very intense monologue towards the beginning with fire and gusto, as if there’s another intriguing play going on outside these walls if we were just to follow her offstage. Their scenes together also crackle with life. Also worthy of note are Tania Jeudy and Danielle Patsakos, who both play very different sides of Amelia’s, the third eldest daughter, personality. Their choreography is enchanting, and they work wonderfully together. Although Doudna & Hunter play an intriguingly intense Alba, both actresses start off at such a high, intense note that they have nowhere to go but to stay angry throughout. It’s not that they’re bad actresses (both are quite good) but they just have no real journey, and for being the focal point of the show, that was indeed a disappointment. Yet this adaption is daringly different, and stood out in my mind as one of the most intriguing shows I’ve seen this year.

The Gene Frankel Theater on Bond Street lured me back twice in one week, since they also housed You Are Here, a collaborative effort by Nylon Fusion Writers Collective (recent NY based projects included Elliot Joseph’s Wisdom of Obscurity and Alisha Silver’s Paper Dragon). This particular piece was created in a collaborative process via workshops this past summer and features a large ensemble cast spanning three different storylines. The first follows a travelling Drag Show featuring two male drag queens; Jay (Brandon Hightower) and Miss M (Wheaton Simis), a female drag queen (Elyssa Jakim), and their supportive tour manager Butch (Nick Walkonis). Miss M is fed up with this life and ready to pack it up and move on. That is, until she meets an Elvis like impersonator named Dean (Justin Maruri) and they fall for each other. The second storyline is set in Tokyo, with Lucy (Rebecca Hirota) and Jim (Mark Souza) on their Honeymoon. Lucy is determined to find her roots in Japan, but her new husband didn’t want to go in the first place, and hates even the thought of being here. He does meet a fellow traveler in Nick Walkonis’s George, but the newlywed couple discover more than their share of problems on this trip. The third and final storyline is set in London and follows an American woman named Darcy (Caroline Bloom) who, after years of working there, wants to make it her permanent residence. Which leads her into an interview with Maurice, also played by Mauri who is taken by her immediately.

Director Jerry Ruiz find creative ways to move the scenes on and off, even when some scenes last only a minute or so. The pieces themselves range from very funny to some wonderfully intimate scenes, but also feel like still “works in progress” as some characters don’t feel quite fleshed out yet. One such character is Bloom’s Darcy. Bloom is a very talented actress (as witnessed here and in Nylon’s Paper Dragon) but there’s not much she can do with the character. Yet she does find small moments to bring a radiance and interest to the character. Maruri does his best character work alongside Bloom, yet his British accent definitely needs work. But his characterization and awkwardness really shines through and they have a sweet chemistry. I do hope the piece is retooled to put more emphasis on the loneliness of the characters and to give Bloom’s Darcy more to do. Over across the Great Plains, Hightower’s Jay is both hilarious and touching. His character feels real, and lived in. Hightower never seems to be acting, only existing in the role. Simis’s Miss M is the complete opposite of him, and while hi “un-Drag like qualities” bothered me at first, that’s exactly what I ended up liking the most. His aggravation and frustration for his position in life are spot on, and especially apparent in his final moment on stage (a wonderfully quiet moment for a play that is sometimes quite frantic). The character that doesn’t work at all in this piece is Jakim’s Elle. She does seem a bit miscast, but more than that, the character doesn’t really make sense (she’s a female drag queen that doesn’t dress in drag…), and overall arc doesn’t really go anywhere. However, Walkonis, who appears in each piece, is great with every character he approaches. Each one is varied and different and showcases this talented actor quite nicely. Finally, the Tokyo story includes my favorite acting overall, with Mark Souza delivering hilariously deadpan dialogue and Rebecca Hirota elevating every scene far beyond the page. Simply put, she’s enchanting. That’s not to say “Tokyo” doesn’t need work though. As funny as Souza’s Jim is, he’s far too mean and cruel, making me wonder almost immediately, “How did they ever get married in the first place?” There needs to be more of an understanding and compassion in the character layered with his frustration and anger or else he’s simply a dick. If we weren’t meant to sympathize with him that would be fine, but we need to in order to fully embrace the story. Overall, You Are Here is a very interesting, sometimes quite strong piece of theatre that with a little more work can turn into a very compelling night of theatre indeed.

The Runner Stumbles Written by Milan Stitt Directed by Peter Zinn Starring Christopher Patrick Mullen, Casandera M.J. Lollar, Heather E. Cunningham, Ric Sechrest, Nat Cassidy, Joe Mathers, Alisha Spielmann, Becky Byers, Jim Boerlin Content Disclaimer (Adult Situation, Mild Violence) For more information on Retro Productions: http://retroproductions.org/ Mateo’s Grade: B+

Alba Based on The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca Directed and Adapted by Glory Kadigan Starring Sarah Doudna, Sharon Hunter, Mary Sheridan, Amelia Campbell, Victoria Lauzun, Tania Jeudy, Danielle Patsakos, Mariel Matero, Kelly Zekas, Natalia Duong, Rebecca Johnson, SUsan Wallack, Tatiana Gomberg, Dana Hunter, Barbara Mundy, Jessica Cermak, Janelle Zapata, AMada Anderson Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language, Mild Violence) For more information on Planet Connections Theatre Festivity: http://planetconnections.org/ Mateo’s Grade: B+

You Are Here Written by Jack Karp, Kate Mulley, Alisha SIlver, Joseph Samuel Wright Directed by Jerry Ruiz Starring Brandon Hightower, Elyssa Jakim, Justin Maruri, Wheaton Simis, Nick Walkonis, Rebecca Hirota, Mark Souza, Caroline Bloom Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language) For more information on Nylon Fusion Collective: http://www.nylonfusion.org/ Mateo’s Grade: B

What BVEW Members Might Like: Intriguing ideas and lots of great examples of stellar acting.

Bottom Line: Unfortunately, each show is now closed, but each one displayed what indie theatre is all about: taking chances.