Love and Substance Abuse

The Brightest Thing in the World

Lane is the face of, and a hardworking employee at, Recovery. It’s a trendy, cozy little cafe and bakery in Lexington, Kentucky that’s staffed by workers dealing with substance abuse. For its customers, the bistro offers plenty of comfort, coffee and cupcakes. The cafe provides a warm, home-away-from-home office space or den in which to work or just enjoy themselves. Folks, like Steph, are encouraged to stop by with their computer or favorite books and stay as long as they like. Friendly, free-spirited baker, Lane (played with vivacity and impish charm by Claire Kaplan), takes an instant shine to Steph, a more reserved new customer (portrayed by the delightfully smooth and charismatic Jojo Brown). Soon she learns more about Steph than that she takes her coffee with almond milk. Steph writes for a small Lexington newspaper and also works at a florist shop. Before long Steph lowers her guard, gives in to Lane’s enthusiasm and a sweet romance develops between the two young women.

Della, Lane’s loving, devoted and kooky older sister (played with wild joy and abandon by Cyd Blakewell) happily welcomes Steph into their family and nurtures the couple’s joy. Della has adopted a more maternal role toward her sister and only wants the best for Lane. Della’s still single, however, and hasn’t dated in a long time. But, probably inspired by the happiness she enjoys seeing in Lane and Steph’s relationship, Della decides to try a dating app in order to find her own true love. The attempt proves to be surprisingly successful as the play moves forward. 

The comic rom-com blooms and flourishes in crushes that develop into romance. But, as their stories progress, Leah Nanako Winkler’s beautifully constructed one-act play becomes more complicated. First off, we learn that Steph is a single mother. She got pregnant while still in high school and has a young daughter, named Bea. The little girl is being raised by Steph’s more conservative mother and father and, much to the young woman’s sorrow, considers them her real parents. But even deeper complications arise when Lane confesses to Steph that, despite her upbeat attitude toward life, she’s suffering from two illnesses. The first is an incurable condition of constant pain. The second, in an attempt to relieve that pain, Lane has become dependent upon all kinds of drugs and suffers from the illness of addiction. Lane is candid and straightforward about her problem, but her confession opens up a whole new can of worms. And from this moment on, Winkler’s delightful, same-sex romantic comedy turns darker. The play evolves into a love story clouded with a very real problem in this country: opioid addiction and treatment.

Directed with a good deal of well-placed energy, breathless creativity and much love by the talented Keira Fromm, the story unfolds like a delicious, warm croissant. It’s a sweet and gentle play, spiked with bitter, piquant moments of reality. The story of Lane, Steph and Della warms the audience with its likable characters, its honesty and plenty of unexpected humor. The three characters are brilliantly played by a trio of talented actors and Ms. Fromm has drawn truthfully sincere performances from her cast. So genuine are these characters, I feel as if I really know these three women, which is a tribute to both the actors and their skilled director.

The supporting artists who support this production with their skills include Sound Designer and Composer Christopher Kriz, Choreographer Jenn Freeman and Intimacy & Violence Designer Sheryl Williams. Sotirios Livaditis’ sparse, but colorful and versatile Scenic Design is remarkably portable, yet detailed and brilliantly colorful. The playful and exquisite Lighting, designed by Conchita Avitia, features dozens of colorful, ever-changing glass globes of different sizes, suspended high above the playing area. And Gregory Graham’s simple costumes give each character an added dimension of reality. 

Leah Nanako Winkler has written an honest, meaningful drama about love and substance abuse. It plays out so realistically that we eventually come to realize Ms. Winkler’s intention in writing this autobiographical play. She’s showing us that drug addicts aren’t always the dregs of society. They’re like all of us, folks riddled with unimaginable pain and find that the cheaper or quicker fix is the only remedy. The playwright has skillfully written a story to depict the everyday people whose lives addiction has claimed. We see instances how, as Della once observed of her sister enjoying a rock concert, everyone has moments when they become “the brightest thing in the world.” This wonderful production is a sweet romance—a warm, equally funny and poignant story about addiction that’ll stay with theatergoers long after the final curtain.          

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented March 14-April 13 by About Face Theatre at the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the Den box office, by calling 773-697-3830 or by going to www.AboutFaceTheatre.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.