"Tiny Beautiful Things" is a play that was adapted from the book by Cheryl Strayed, by Nia Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" fame. Like the movie, Vardalos used the play as a vehicle for own talents originating the role of Sugar. Which is perfectly fine when the results are as amazing as this. In a nutshell, it is the story of the Sugar who complains about the bad advice being offered by someone named Sugar on an advice blog. Her act of honesty finds her inheriting the mantle and the nom de plume that goes with it. Without a stitch of experience she begins to read the quires of anxious readers and respond. As she grows into the role, her advice takes on the form of using experiences in her own life to demonstrate the grace and power, nay resilience, that human beings are capable of growing into. It is becomes a journey for her, too. One in which she ultimately realizes her own healing. This is a brilliant play. This is the kind of play that I would take others to see in a heartbeat. And I would hope against hope that the actors would be a gifted as this cast.
The structure places Sugar (Erika Rose) front and center on stage for the entire 90 minutes. I try hard not to associate actors with other actors, but in this case, it was impossible not to see one of my favorite, one of the most iconic TV actors in my lifetime, S. Epatha Merkerson (her 90's/00's self) in the portrayal of Sugar by Erika. This isn't to say that she was creating in any way a caricature of Lt. Anita Van Buren, instead, what I'm trying to convey is that she was that stunningly authentic of a performance. I stood in ovation at the end, but what I wanted to do was hug her.
The rest of the for person cast dipped in and out alone, in duos and at times all together to play the rolls of the "letter writers." Two men and a transsexual person, the roles they inhabited were all across the gender spectrum without regard to there own. It was a tour de force tapestry woven by three master actors. Two of whom I have seen a few times before, and one who was a revelation to me. Of the three I want to elevate Caro Dubberly. They are one of the most fearless, committed, talented actors I have seen perform in the DMV. In one soliloquy, they took on the persona of a transgender man who told the story of being rejected by his parents, having created a life apart full of joy and contentment, and then being contacted 20 years later by his parents asking for forgiveness. What should he do? Sugar's advice was so profound and gracious... omg, I'm crying again just thinking about it.
And this is the nature of this play. It pries open doors to secret rooms and floods them with light. Exposing all the shit while somehow offering a way to plant a garden. What actor in the right mind wouldn't jump at the chance to swim in this ocean.
While the stage setting seemed simple (just as the lights dimmed and the buzz in the audience hushed, a patron sitting across the aisle to my right said, "It's not much a set, is it?") at first glance, from the first moment it proved to be an amazing mixture of design concept and lighting that engaged everyone in an instant (even the old bird on my right!) Kudos to Scenic Designer Sim Carpenter, and Lighting Designer Sherrice Mojgani--and ALL of the carpenters and electricians and artists who brought those designs to life.
Earlier this year, NPR featured BCS in one of its regional theatre state of the art post pandemic series. The point of the BCS' segment was to 1) highlight its commitment to paying actors, designers, crews not just a fair wage, but a competitive one, 2) the sacrifice that this has created (they've cut back their season to just 3 productions, and 3) the slow return of audiences. The segment was produced back in the October. On this Saturday afternoon in March, the theatre was 85-90% sold out. From my limited experience with the BCS, that's as good as any pre-covid production I attended, and, in fact, better than most.
As fate would have it, I sat next to a gentleman who had come from Annapolis to see the show--a similar trek to mine. When I ask, he answered that he was a season ticket holder, and had been for over a decade. He told me that he annually attends about 30 shows a year (60-70% of my current pace...he he he). When I asked him why BCS, he replied, "Because I can see new works here, that aren't staged anywhere else. I really enjoy seeing new plays."
I do too--especially, when they are this well done!
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