For me, the greatest theatre has always been those performances that stay with you after the curtain call is over, stories that stick to you long after you leave the theatre.
For me, the greatest theatre is on that puts you outside of your own comfort zone.
For me, the greatest theatre challenges you to think beyond your own orbit, and to consider the plight and flight and stories of your fellow brothers and sisters.
The way I see it…great theatre makes you think.
This Wide Night, by Chloë Moss opened at Guild Hall of East Hampton last night. Presented by Speck of Light Productions, the productions stars Jessica Mortellaro and Chloë Dirksen, with direction by Joe Minutillo, Original Music by Felix Bird and lighting design by Jose Santiago.
Upon her release from prison, Lorraine heads straight to Marie’s – her former cellmate’s – apartment, having nowhere else to go.
Lorraine is eager to see her – aside from her estranged song, Marie is the only person Lorraine has on the outside.
Marie is not so happy to see Lorraine. She’s hesitant. Cautious. Concerned. It’s clear from the start that she wishes Lorraine never knocked on her front door…and yet she let’s her stay at her apartment until she’s ready to go to the hostel she set up. She has no money yet she feeds her. She lives in a studio with a crappy twin bed, and let’s her share it. She doesn’t want her to stay, but then it becomes equally apparent that she doesn’t want her to go.
This particular production is staged with the audience onstage – we are in the crappy studio, reliving memories and dreaming new dreams right alongside Marie and Lorraine.
It’s brilliant.
As an audience member, we’re there for every little nuance. Every tear, every smile, every joke, every embrace – they all become palpable due to the staging. They become visceral. You are drawn into the story so deeply and strongly that it takes all of one’s self-control not to jump up and comfort both of the women in their times of despair.
Because there is so much despair.
Yes, they were both incarcerated. Yes, Lorraine murdered what one can assume was an abusive husband.
But they were both released.
They both served their time.
And yet…they both are having a hard time adjusting to the outside. It might say that prison did not rehabilitate them, but in fact debilitate them.
Now, make no mistakes about it – I’m not sitting here condemning the judicial system. I’m not saying that I don’t believe people need to go to jail.
What I am saying is that this play makes you think about where we send our inmates, and how we treat them. It’s easy to put someone behind bars and forget about them – but what happens when they get out? What happens when they have live and breathe and work and function amongst the rest of civilization?
Are inmates able to re-assimilate?
Cause make no mistake about it, assimilate they must.
This Wide Night is a tremendous story about life. Love. Friendship. Compassion. And the aftermath of what it means to be releasd from prison.
Go see this production – you will not regret it.
$28 tickets available in advance at thiswidenight.brownpapertickets.com, 1-800-838-3006 or $35 cash at the door.
Seating is limited, so buy them in advance! Please not that this is not appropriate for children.
Live, Love, Learn,