Hope and Healing

Jump

As the lights come up, through the whispy fog we discover a young woman walking on a bridge. She enjoys a draw from her vape pen. Then she throws it away into the dark waters below, only to have it magically reappear in her hand. This moment, like several other incidents in the play, happen over and over again. Very soon theatergoers realize that Charly Evon Simpson’s quirky one-act is set in a universe that’s rife in magical realism. The 90-minute drama, which is enjoying its Midwest Premiere, is a play about hope and healing and just plain being human. It’s told through a nonlinear storyline that’s filled with unexpected surprises and humor, as well as a deep river of sadness.

Fay is a smart, empathetic twenty-something who’s obviously coping with a lot of emotional baggage. It will take the playwright over halfway through her poetic drama to provide the audience with all the pieces to this puzzle. And because there’s so many hidden bits of information that will eventually be revealed, the setup is all that I’m going to provide readers. I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises for future theatergoers.

A year ago, Fay’s mother passed away from cancer. Now Fay and Judy, her older sister, are waiting for their dad to arrive at the family home. Dad’s planning to sell the house and he’s asked for help in going through his wife’s effects to decide which items to save, donate or toss. The bridge, where we first observed Fay walking, is both literal and symbolic. It’s the landmark that attracted Fay’s mother to want to buy this particular house because of the spectacular view afforded by the structure. It’s also figurative because the bridge sparks painful memories and evokes the traumatic emotions that continually haunt the young woman. The turbulent waters beneath the bridge mirror the emotional turmoil that lay under the surface of these characters. And metaphorically, the bridge is also a path that not only connects two shorelines but also links the various characters in this play.

In addition to Fay, Judy and their Dad there’s one more character who plays an important part. A guy named Hopkins suddenly appears on the bridge one night. He’s a totally free spirit and a young graduate student who’s an outsider from this family. Soon after Fay meets him on the bridge a delightful, impromptu karaoke and self-choreographed moment erupts. These two lost souls perform on the bridge together to The Proclaimers’ hit, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). It’s one of the joyous highlights of the production. As in the rest of this play, we gradually learn much more about Hopkins as we uncover secrets harbored by Judy, Dad and Fay that unlock the mysteries within this tale.

Skillfully directed by Shattered Globe Theatre’s associate artistic director, AmBer Montgomery, the cast features four very talented actors. Shattered Globe Ensemble Member Jazzma Pryor is magnificent as Fay. Seen in the company’s productions of STEW and CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, Ms. Pryor has proven to be an actress with great intuition, range and talent. The roller coaster of emotion she’s forced to ride in this play would be a challenge to any actor, but Jazzma Pryor almost makes her performance appear effortless. It’s not. She’s matched by the brilliant Jeff Kurysz, who’s been seen all over town, most notably at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Goodman, A Red Orchid and Writers Theatre, among many others. His work as Hopkins feels honest and totally natural, and Kurysz makes a great foil to Pryor’s exuberant portrayal of Fay.

Equity member Alfred H. Wilson, whose resume boasts dozens of appearances at the Court, Writers, the Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres, turns in yet another stellar performance as Dad. His natural, sincere and nuanced portrayal of a man trying to come to grips with tragedy, while accepting that his life is uncontrollably changing before him, tries to cope through alcohol self-medication. And gifted fellow Equity member Jennifer Glasse burns up the stage as Judy. She creates a young woman whose life story is somewhat familiar to most of us, and she tells this character’s tale with confidence and candor.

Charly Evon Simpson’s short one-act might seem to be simply another cautionary story about mental health. It’s not all that simple. There’s a great deal of finesse and artistic flair provided in this production by everyone, both on- and off-stage. Possibly inspired by a magazine article about those who had attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, this imaginative play is more fanciful. It invokes moments of magical realism to probe the backgrounds and reasons behind such an act of desperation. Featuring an expressionistic Scenic Design, co-created by Regina Garcia and Lindsay Mummert, equally appropriate Lighting by Levi Wilkins, a terrific Music & Sound Design by Christ Kriz and consummate character-enhancing clothing by Costume Designer Rachel Lambert, Shattered Globe Theatre’s latest offering unveils a lovely, soulful story about hope and healing and so much more.    

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented April 19-June 1 by Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available Tickets are available in person at the door, by calling the box office at 773-975-8150 or by going to www.SGTheatre.org/Flood.

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