- OTHER MEDIA
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- Crystal Daze is Crystal Clear
By Adele Chavez
Published: May 3, 2007 San Francisco Bay Times
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- It is a tragic irony that this show is being produced in the heart
of the Tenderloin. As you leave the theater, eyes watering and emotionally
rattled, you will run into the very people the play is about. Crystal
Daze, a new play about meth addiction and its effect on mothers and daughters,
is currently running at the Exit on Eddy. Written by Deborah Eubanks in
a smooth blend of dialogue and street poetry, in collaboration with her
ensemble, and co-directed by Ms. Eubanks and Michelle Talgarow, it is being
shown as part of Divafest.
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- The show begins with a dance for Crystal Meth (Sadie Lune), and the
two daughters, Jennifer (Lizzie Sell) and Jodie (Joelle Wagner). I felt
the opening was the weakest part of the show, and could easily be reduced.
Parts were excellent, such as the girls’ movements that went from
aggressively sexy to violently nauseous without changing the basic choreography.
Sadie Lune, in particular, is a visually stunning actor, drawing the eye
with the bravura of her performance. By turns sexy, seductive, frightening,
and funny, she provided a perfect center on which the other performers
could focus.
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- The set, designed and lit by Amanda Ortmayer, was particularly well
suited to the production, being eye-catching without being obtrusive. The
main elements, two sliding panels of frosted plastic rectangles framed
in black, allowed for a completely flexible performing area.
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- The costumes, designed by Lisa Eldridge, were a bit uneven. The girls
were dressed in simple but appropriate clothing The various ensembles for
Crystal Meth were excellent, mood-enhancing, form-flattering, and often
used as pieces in the choreography (by Jessica Fudim). But the two mothers
were dressed in grey schmatta that looked like depressed Amish farmer’s
wives. Surely they could wear clothes that would place them in this century?
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- While all of the performers were very good in their roles, Cheryl Smith
was a particular standout as Jodie’s Mother. Natural, appealing, and
heartbreaking, she pulled you in to the heart of her pain. Christina Augello
as Jennifer’s Mother was at her best when interacting with her fellow
performers, but in monologue, she tended to use her best “actor’s
voice”, inadvertently making her dialogue seem stagy and unreal.
- Which is a shame, because the true star of the play is the script.
Superbly written and unsparingly emotional, the play shows you true love
and true pain as the bonds between mother and daughter are strained —
but never to breaking point — by the seduction of Crystal Meth.
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- This play deserves to be seen by a large audience. Kudos to Exit Theatre
for their championship of new works. May this one go on to be seen elsewhere
as well. For now, go see Crystal Daze at the Exit Theatre
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