I've been embracing wonder and magic more lately as I move into my late 30's. Not the sweaty-man-pulling-rabbit-out-of-hat kind, but the returning-to-the-whimsy-of-youth sort - cloud watching, star gazing, allowing Lake Erie waves to move me to tears. Life is too hard and too short not to. The Grown-Up by Jordan Harrison, on stage now at convergence-continuum, is a magical show about just that - harnessing the power of imagination and storytelling to remind us that life is short, and we should all be advised to find the wonder where we can, when we can.  

The Grown-Up centers on Kai, a young boy who learns from his grandfather that the crystal doorknob in their home is actually a magical crystal from a mermaid figurehead on a pirate ship. As he uses the crystal doorknob in different doors, he hops further and further into his future, which may have been fun until he realizes he cannot go back - in a physical sense, anyway. Kai, who shares a name with the character from Hans Christian Anderson's story of The Snow Queen, retells this story in his late 30's to his boyfriend. In the story, a little boy named Kai finds a shard of a broken mirror that pierces his eye and makes him cruel and jaded and beholden to the Snow Queen. In the end, his sister saves him. I love little bits like this in plays - while it's a clear foreshadowing of action to come with in-show Kai's sister Anna Bell, it also seems to be an allegory for losing one's childlike sense of wonder, and how to get it back. In the show, Kai tumbles quickly through many stages of life until he reaches its end, trying as he goes to remember how he got there. What and who has he missed out on?

Watching this show is like watching children play make believe. Your disbelief must be suspended and your imagination must be ready to fill in the blanks. Director Amy Bistok keeps the action moving swiftly - clothes fly around as the actors quick change right on stage to switch characters fast, and the most unique con-con staging I've seen in a while will have your eyes darting around and heads on a swivel to keep an eye on everything, expertly managed by stage manager Kristen Boehnlein. The role of in-the-shadows narrator is passed between actors from scene to scene, sometimes highlighting the action, sometimes serving as a character's internal monologue, amplifying the theme of storytelling. And this small ensemble of 6, about 20 characters between them, do a wonderful job clarifying their varying roles, switching seamlessly between characters and narrators, and making the space come alive. 

Mike Frye especially gives an authentic display of the lead character, Kai, through the stages of life - age 10, at 27, 39, 55, and finally in his 80's. His vocal register and selected characteristics helped differentiate Kai at his various ages and I especially enjoyed Mike as Kai in his 80s - legless, blind, and vulnerable in his old age. Mike shows a great naturalness with his many scene partners and helps us care for Kai. Through the show, as Kai time-jumps across decades of his life, he remembers his conversation with his grandfather: "it was today. I was ten." 

The ensemble effectively brings to life a great variety of rich characters and move along the story well. Logan Andrews plays an endearing Grandpa - with his visible tattoos and gruff voice, you have a sense he was a military guy - and Katelyn Merold his Grandma counterpart, complete with knitting needles to match Logan's pipe and glasses. Logan switches to a red-sashed, grizzly pirate and then to Kai's patient wedding day husband, Barry. Katelyn becomes Rosie, a hilarious southern belle living in her past, then a "chesty mermaid" and ridiculous wedding guest, and finally Paula, Kai's brash but kind Salvadoran caretaker. Katelyn was predictably hilarious in each role. 

Natalie Lambo as Kai's sweet sister Anna Belle, has one of my favorite lines of the show, in relation to the game of hide-and-seek she and her brother play - "heartbreakingly, all the wants is to be found" - giving weight to her lifelong search for and dedication to her brother. Audience members with close-in-age siblings will recognize the relationship between the two. Natalie gave an absolutely gorgeous portrayal of older Anna Belle. Jack Matuszweski may have the most roles, starting out as fisherman and then cabin boy to Logan's pirate, to a dense waiter and a beauty pageant judge to a hilarious Ms. Griggs. He has his juiciest role as Kai's boyfriend Steven. David Munnell absolutely nails bitchy TV exec and over-the-top wedding planner, and is effective in his star studded jacket as award ceremony emcee, delivering one of the biggest-laugh lines: "everyone in this room has been touched by Kai Sheerwater." These final scenes were so reminiscent for me of one of my favorite movies, Big Fish. 

The set design by Clyde Simon adds effectively to the magic. A total of 5 doors are strewn throughout the space, with platforms of varying heights and open space in the center, creating what any child would find to be a very fun playspace. I especially loved the tall light over the dock Josef the Fisherman perched, complete with an ancient radio and a sailor's knot of thick rope, which would be used later as the space transformed into a crow's nest of a pirate ship. Simon's projections help set the imaginative scenes - a living room, an office, rolling ocean waves, a subtly changing distant horizon, and, importantly, the tumbling through time and space. Costuming by Amanda Rowe-Van Allen and sound by Austin Hopson both effectively set  the quickly changing scenes and characters. Lighting design by Sly Robakowski must have been a challenge for this set, but it sets the moods well and included a couple of welcome surprises - under-"bed" red LEDs to set a particular mood, bright blue hues during the time travel sequences. I especially enjoyed the use of a surprise fog machine to simulate the tumble into the ocean, complete with flashlight jelly fish - the sputtering fog creating a beautiful, mystical effect for a scene between Cabin Boy and the Mermaid. Talk about magic!

If we've already gone through too many doors, if we can't go back to being children physically, can we in our hearts? Though our paper gets crumpled every night as we endure pain, can we smooth it out every night until the wrinkles are gone? This delightful production, in the style of Big Fish, aims to help us discover the possibility for being innocent again - "the first, we are given, the second, we must fight for."

​I have a complicated history with Exit, Pursued by a Bear by Lauren Gunderson, on stage now at convergence-continuum. The moment I saw the title in the season line up, I approached director Kate Smith and solemnly declared my intentions: I want to be the bear. She touched my shoulder tenderly and said with such compassion, "I am so sorry. There is no bear." I was crushed. My dream role, so soon gone. But I reluctantly dragged myself to see this bear-less show opening week, and let me tell you - I barely noticed there was no bear amidst the carefully constructed and decorated set, the well-portrayed feminist and pro-queer overtones in a rural Southern setting, and the sweet, sweet vengeance. 

Exit, Pursued by a Bear may draw its title inspiration from the sometimes drab and difficult to comprehend Shakespeare (don't @ me), but con-con's production of the show is neither - its clever staging and quick wit make for a delightful evening of tasty revenge and heartfelt friendship. Move over, 'Goodbye, Earl.'

A frequent patron of con-con, I am used to their commitment to totally transforming their space with every production, moving the audience seating to various positions and playing with their small but versatile black box to make sets come to life. I truly gasped when I entered the theatre to see how intricate the playspace was for this show! From a sweetly crocheted blanket adorning the couch to a Billy Big Mouth Bass and (real?) deer head on the wall, I honestly felt I had walked into the home of one of my rural Ohio extended family. I could almost feel the sticky, hot summer air amidst the inexplicable knick-knacks you find in real homes, the worn-looking linoleum, the earthy wood flooring. There were even the clashing colors that would never make it into Better Homes and Garden - the odd shade of beige, the 60's green that never got painted over, the questionable teal - every color more gross than the one before. I am wholly obsessed with this set - can you tell? I'm a sucker for detail, and was delighted to be able to walk through the set on the way to my seat and look around at all of the little pieces that make this (theatre) house a home.

The costuming needs were simple but the execution was thoughtful, featuring tie-front shirts and denim for the women, Simon in his hilarious cheerleading uniform (which Zavier honestly has the legs for), and a wrinkled collared shirt, messy jeans, and work boots for Kyle. The TV projection work, especially the bear PowerPoint, was a great visual complement to the action. The musical selections were perfection from start to finish, from pre-show music, to an early-2000s 'We Built This City' Nokia ringtone for Nan that made me cackle every time it rang, to the ending karaoke number. The main sound effect, though, was the 'DING' that would be heard throughout the piece to signify a stage direction adorning the home's big screen TV (another hallmark of a rural home!), a character's aside, or a memory. Director Kate Smith had a challenge to overcome with the playwright's interesting request for specific stage directions to be shown on a screen or projector, and I appreciated with a chuckle the choice to put them inside the speech bubbles of none other than the creepy deer head. The title of the show is itself a stage direction, and projecting some key ones is a clever nod to that. Working them into the set helped ground them in the play's action. And honestly, as an actor and playwright myself who takes delight in clever stage directions, some of them were truly laughable and added to the play's humor - for example, "Sweetheart starts placing venison steaks all around Kyle in a little meat fort."

Theatre folk will appreciate the nods to our kind throughout the play, far past the play's title. Simon's, "so this is theatre with an -r-e?" The recounting of memories as scenes. Nan's soliloquy and Kyle's reluctant one. The breaking of the fourth wall. Sweetheart's over-preparation for her scene. Sweetheart calling Kyle a scene hog. Pretty much the entirety of Sweetheart, actually. 

Nan, played by Amanda Rowe-Van Allen, is the conflicted leader of the scenes that unfold. She tells Kyle, played by Casey McCann, with the perfect amount of shut-up-and-listen: "first thing, honey - you've been recast," revealing Sweetheart, her partner in literal crime, stripper, and aspiring actress. Hayley Johnson was especially enjoyable in this role, playing Sweetheart as a little spacey with a whole lot of love for her friend Nan. Rounding out the cast hilariously is Zavier McClean playing Nan's longtime friend Simon, her figurative and literal cheerleader, Zavier bursting on stage in a tiny red skirt with a pom-pom. The cast was truly delightful and there was something delicious about Amanda and Hayley, who I know to be two strong women in real life, playing the roles of strong women on stage. 

Amanda plays Nan as a woman not naturally driven to vengeance, but spurred on by her supportive friends and her own wit's ends. Her obsession with Jimmy Carter, with whom she shares a last name and wishes had been her father, was endearingly bizarre. It made me wonder what kind of father Nan did have to wish so fervently for a different one. Was a broken relationship with her father what led her into the arms of the far-from-perfect Kyle? My heart broke when Nan said, "I married a man I thought was gonna be good. He wasn't." Me too, Nan. Amanda's Nan was broke, stuck, scared, and mad, and it became clear how she had been driven to this point of... well, madness. And what is madness, if not covering a man in his own illegally caught venison to be eaten alive by a bear?

Nan may not know how to pick a man but she knows how to pick her friends - and to accept them for who they are. In the end, their love in return is what gives her courage to heal.

Hayley's Sweetheart stole my heart with her overacting (Sweetheart's - not Hayley's!), her adorable spaciness, and her thoughtful furrowed brow as she weighed how to best support her new friend. Sweetheart found not only intrigue in Nan, but acceptance for who she is - a stripper - where she more often encounters judgment. Hayley made this tenderness come alive for me. Hayley demonstrated a quality I really admire in actors - an expressive listening even when in the background. Not once when I looked at her was she disengaged with a scene, even if she was outside of the action. And, I have to give props to Hayley's Jimmy Carter impression and the hilarious, dramatic floor rolls during her floor scene with Zavier. I laughed so hard during those I had a coughing fit. 

Similarly to Sweetheart, Zavier's Simon found love and acceptance with his friend Nan as part of his coming out journey. I liked Simon immediately and guffawed at many of his lines ("you said you needed support! this is a supportive outfit!" "your outfit is perfect" "I know"), helped along tremendously by Zavier's delivery. Simon may have been written as a stereotypical Gay Best Friend, but Zavier played him as nuanced and layered. His quick wit and silliness provided necessary humor to this self-proclaimed 'dark comedy.' Notable were Simon's lipsync along with "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Mis and his thoughts on how many scoops of ice cream Nan should eat ("girl, that is not sorbet"), 

And then there was Kyle. Oh, Kyle. Casey seemed to really enjoy playing villain (same, Casey). Kyle, either himself or through Hayley playing him, made the audience cringe in how he spoke about women and about his wife in particular. Kyle's toxic masculinity was off-putting enough to make you root hard and unequivocally for Nan, and frankly, the bear. Having just seen Barbie in theaters for a second time, I wondered if Kyle would benefit from a Kenough hoodie - Kylenough? I enjoyed the genuine horror on Casey's face as Sweetheart's monologue revealed the women's sinister plan. I have to say, I was surprised at the Kyle who appeared in flashbacks to his and Nan's courtship. This Kyle was played by Casey as nervous, awkward, and conscious of his mis-stepping. I, too, have had first, second, tenth dates with men where they are much more gentle and kind, before they settle into the new relationship and show their true colors. What happens to you, men?

A lot of lines in Gunderson's play made me want to give pretentious little snaps - with apologies to the cast for the times I couldn't stop myself and actually did. One I furiously scribbled down made me want to cheer - "I plan to repopulate the world with gentlemen - kind, well-toned, generous boys who are raised as feminists" explained Nan to Kyle after revealing her pregnancy, a baby she did not plan to raise with him even if the bear didn't eat him alive. The line, "for all the women around the world who swallow panic every day," created a hard knot in my throat. The simulated violence with Sweetheart's portrayal of Kyle was enough for me - the slap, the forcing of Nan's head to the deer carcass, and not to mention the verbal and emotional abuse we saw first hand.

I enjoyed the through line of animals throughout the show: the deer carcass, the deer on the wall, the animals slideshow, the bear, of course the bear, and Penguin, Kyle's not-so-sweet and possibly fatphobic nickname for Nan. One instance of his nickname for her is met with a retort from Nan - "oh! Emperor penguins find a new mate every season." I think it's a new season, Kyle, buddy. And no, naysayers of the script, it's not as easy as 'just leaving'. Look up a thing or two about domestic violence. Sometimes feeding your abusive partner alive to a bear IS the only option. As Nan says, "baby, we're all animals, and we're all wild."

A final nod to the projections team - the well-spliced Anderson Cooper 360 episode featuring Nan was an excellent penultimate scene for the show, where Nan reveals some key things: that the bear did not succeed, Kyle lives, her son she is presumably raising with Simon is named, of course, Jimmy, and her book about her ordeal? It's titled 'Nature's Calling.' She is Nan Carter and she is alive in this wide world, and, as Jimmy Carter said, making "the days of our children better than our own."

Nan and Jimmy close by saying together, "I will do my best, but not on my own."

You sure weren't on your own, Nan.

The final scene, a karaoke number sung by Nan, Sweetheart, and Simon, has fitting lyrics to wrap up the play's centeredness on friendship: "and if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other."

Exit, Pursued by a Bear, runs through September 2 at convergence-continuum. 

​

Fun fact: there is also a young adult fiction book by E.K. Johnston called 'Exit, Pursued by a Bear' written in 2016, four years after Gunderson's play, in which a high school cheerleader named Hermione Winters is drugged and raped and becomes pregnant. The log line for the book ends, "she won’t be anyone’s cautionary tale." Seeing some through lines here...

Potentially unpopular opinion - I'm a little sick of dystopian stories. Like, okay, the world might end while I'm alive to see it, whatever, I already have my exit plan in place (take a ton of edibles and curl into the fetal position and go out vibin', baby. Enjoy that fat I've been storing up, zombies.). I'm also an annoying sci-fi nay-sayer - I've famously never seen any Star Wars or Star Trek and love messing with super fans of one or both by pretending to confuse them (that's right, friends - I do know that Captain Kirk is not Han Solo's father.)

So when I saw one of my favorite theatres in town was doing something "dystopian" and "science fiction," I wasn't all that interested. But I went to see "After the Blast" at convergence-continuum this spring for a few reasons.

1. I am lucky to know and care about every single person involved in this production.
2. I am also lucky to call con-con one of my local theatrical homes and am ever happy to support them.
3. con-con has a tendency to surprise me and I was willing to let them, again.

I am devastated to tell you, dear readers (aka, just my mom, hey Mom!) that I absolutely adored this dystopian, sci-fi thing of beauty con-con has put together. con-con is a theatre I love for many reasons, one of which being their penchant for producing theatre that pushes boundaries and takes risks. This is usually a good thing for me, but, being the insufferable anti-sci-fi jerk I am, I wondered if this would make for a sci-fi production that was... a LOT. As in, too much. I was wrong. "After the Blast" was just right.

con-con's production of "After the Blast" as directed by Eva Nel Brettrager was simply resonant - that is, deep, clear, and continuing to ring in my soul as a wholly captivating and beautiful envisioning of the complexities of the ghastly future we are undoubtedly creating for ourselves. 

Cory Molner and Scott Zolkowsi's set for this show, representing the subterranean bunker where "the best and brightest" of humanity move once earth becomes unlivable, was gorgeous. The lighting columns set in the walls, the sliding doors that chimed, the simple built in shelves, and even the well-done wall seams offered an atmosphere that was simple and bleak but somehow lovely. In addition to the lighting columns, the only other pops of color other than light were some succulents, some table flowers, and a couple of knick-knacks. These scarce pops of color juxtaposed well with the grey set and intentionally unremarkable beige and grey costume pieces selected by Amanda Rowe-Van Allen. Kate Smith's props were slim and effective with one exception - we'll get to him later. con-con's trend of show-appropriate pre-show speeches rife with bits of humor was heightened by the robotic affect for this show, voiced by Kate Smith. Neil Sudhakaran's projections and sounds were effective, especially during the  above-world memories of Margarita, and I appreciated Rob Wachala's lighting effects in creating color and warmth in this world of pristine and bleakness. JC Cifranic was, as always, a precise and holistic stage manager, head on a swivel and the glue holding all of the elements together. It always feels clear when they are managing a production. Another thing always clear? When Eva Nel Brettrager is directing. From first-hand experience being directed by them, I can tell you they are sharp and collaborative, creative and careful. This combination shone through in this production.

It's time. It's time to talk about mad scientist Kate Smith's creation - the robot. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would it be a human in a robot costume? An R2-D2 style trash can on a remote control car to transport it around the stage? (I had to Google that to make sure I meant R2-D2 and not C-3PO. Did you know there's another cute little guy called BB-8?) I was half right - The Helper, aka Arthur, aka Artie, aka Mija did resemble R2-D2, but also had mammal-like features - teddy bear ears and big eyes. Interesting choice, I thought. I soon came to find it was exactly what the script called for, with references to the robot being named Artie after R2-D2, being like a dog to train and lead visually impaired children in simple tasks. The combination of creatures was effective and I came to truly care for Artie as the show progressed - until I didn't.

Alex Strzemilowski was the one cast member I didn't know well. I'm sure I appreciated his initial scene as Sam, but I'm not here to talk about that. Alex bravely donned the grey skin suit most of the show to operate the robot puppet "Artie" (and, later, "Mija"). My first thought, honestly, was that I would find it distracting. However, less than halfway to intermission, I completely forgot Alex was even on stage. Alex's movements were so precise and in tune with the robot, that even as I tried to focus on Alex's work, I forgot again and again that he was operating it. When I did remember to watch him, it mostly made my 35 year old knees hurt to watch his effortless crouch-walk around stage. It was actually annoying how good he was at all of it. And, in fact, the choice to put Alex in the grey skin suit was effective in a surprising way - Alex's lack of human face made for somewhat of a creepy 'uncanny valley' effect that created a sudden discomfort upon noticing and re-noticing Alex, perhaps foreshadowing Anna's stomach-dropping realization later in the show.

As the show went on, Alex's puppetry was perfectly in sync with the off-stage vocalizations of Artie, so much so that when I leaned back so I couldn't see Alex at all, it was wholly believable that the puppet was moving on its own as it spoke. Speaking of the robot vocalization - kudos to Michael Montanus for his choices in representing Artie's voice. He and Alex worked in sync to make the robot puppetry believable, and Michael's overly formal and staccato enunciation helped remind us that Artie was indeed inhuman. Michael's rapid fire toddler-like questions and deafening volume when preparing Anna for her mental health exam provided some great comic relief. Michael had a good demeanor as Lowes - detached but still with some compassion for Anna's devastation, demonstrating a comforting humanity. 

Cat Kenney pleasantly surprised me with her Spanish speaking abilities - as a proficient Spanish speaker myself, I was interested to see how this scene would work not having found a native Spanish speaker to cast. Cat clearly did a lot of work for this one scene, where her Margarita gave us a sweet look into one of the OG undergrounders who remembers the world as it once was. Cat played the older Margarita convincingly. 

Katherine Nash and Mike Frye played charming supporting roles as Patrick and Carrie, good friends of Anna and Oliver and an effective juxtaposition of their strained marriage, fertility, and Anna's mental health. Their lives seemed to be the ideal of a couple underground - easygoing, willing to adapt, seemingly in love. I always enjoy Mike Frye's unique take on his characters, and appreciated his best friend and brother to Oliver and husband to Carrie - a worthy adversary in cleverness to both. I was delighted to see Katherine in her roles. She portrayed Carrie with an endearing wonder and an unquestioning acceptance of her world, and later on with a fierce protectiveness of her child. She joined Michael Montanus with effective comedic timing and excellent robotic vocal choices, this time as Mija, the reprogrammed robot Artie.

Patrick Warner beautifully portrayed the difficulty Oliver faced underground - wanting to fulfill his accepted purpose of making the world re-inhabitable for the next generation to survive, and wanting to support and help his wife struggling to do the same. I loved Patrick's emotional range throughout the show as he moved through Oliver's experience of taking a huge risk to help his wife find purpose - especially the scene where he listened to her tell Artie that she did not feel fulfilled by her husband. His excitement showing Anna the "Helper" video was adorable and contagious. And I loved his tentative chemistry with Carolyn in their portrayal of a couple who love one another but who don't fully understand one another. Patrick has such an old soul that shows through in his onstage persona - a world-weary wisdom that makes one curious about him. I have seen Patrick's scene work and performance of his original poetry, but this was my first time seeing him in a fully realized role, and at only 26 years old, I am thrilled to see the roles he will continue to take.

Carolyn Demanelis accomplished something in her creation of Anna that can be tricky - to depict a person with mental illness on stage in a way that is compassionate and dimensional, that respects people with mental illness off stage. From the start I empathized with Anna's difficulty to accept the world she had been given - an artist and admirer of beauty at heart, granted only sims designed by 'the artists of our time' - an interesting line to hear in this age of debate over AI-generated 'art.' I understood Anna's resistance to escaping - either into sims or through anti-depressants. I felt with Anna's hope and heartbreak at her journey above ground and her need for purpose. And then! After initial hesitation of the new being in her home, Anna's sudden affection for the dog-like Artie felt so real. Her motherlike patience for Artie's questions was lovely. I loved Carolyn's freeness singing and dancing around with Artie, her grin and inaudible 'thank you' every time he fetched the ball. My heart broke as I watched Carolyn's face fall when Artie innocently asked, "why were you made if you do not have a purpose?" - a question many with clinical depression have posed in dark times. Anna's explanation of her depression and suicidal ideation - "my purpose became not to kill myself" - was heart wrenching. When she explained her desire for a child as, "so that when we die, some piece of us remains," I felt my heart twist again - a thought on which I've certainly ruminated. And my heart - which really got a work out in this show - sank at the devastating and loaded realization Carolyn came to in the scene with Margarita and Mija. Apologies to the patrons near me - I believe I let out an audible noise of a deflating balloon as tears sprung to my eyes. Carolyn really made me feel what Anna felt, as a woman who also questions the ethics of bringing a child into this world, for whom mental health has not been simple, for whom purpose sometimes feels elusive. Carolyn's quick snap to slicing anger with its undercurrent of fear, to her tender sadness with Carrie's child, to her intense pain toward Patrick's Oliver, provided the rollercoaster of emotions Anna felt at the end of the show. Thank you, Carolyn, for your responsible and kind portrayal of all of the resonant parts of Anna this show called for.

I imagine our future may be not so dissimilar to the world cleverly created by Eva Nel Brettrager and the cast and crew of "After the Blast" at con-con. The best and brightest chosen to carry us forward, be it underground, on the moon, or elsewhere - and those not chosen left to survive however they can (may I again suggest the edibles and vibe method?). Brilliantly designed sims - those who embrace them and those who resist them. And, to my delight, some of the themes are additionally so reminiscent of our world now. Survival - not only physical, but emotional. Memories of a world before - real, or simulated - that bring us sadness and possibility. A "singles compound in the middle of nowhere" - lol.  Love, even when it feels impossible. Love, and making choices out of love that sometimes turn out to be the wrong ones. Mental illness that can't be simmed away. Finding purpose and love in unexpected places - and experiencing betrayal and heartbreak just as we do up above. 

There are three more chances to see "After the Blast" at convergence-continuum - April 20, 21, and 22. Seating is limited in their intimate black box space - reserve tickets at www.convergence-continuum.org/.