Review: MRS. HARRISON at Portland Center Stage
This show about the complex intersection of personal experience and artistic expression runs through February 16.
MRS. HARRISON, now running at Portland Center Stage, is a fast-paced examination of the stories we claim as our own. Written by R. Eric Thomas and directed by Tiffany Nichole Green, this taut 80-minute play is packed full of questions about race, privilege, creative ownership, and the complex intersection of personal experience and artistic expression.
Former friends and classmates Aisha (played by Cycerli Ash), a successful Black playwright, and Holly (Claire Rigsby), a struggling white comedian, meet in a bathroom at their 10-year college reunion. One of Aisha’s plays has recently had success in New York, and she’s now rubbing elbows with celebrities. Holly is still trying to find her groove in the world of podcasts and other online media. The tension arises not only because their lives took such different turns but because Aisha’s play is remarkably similar to a tragic story from Holly’s childhood. Who has the right to tell what stories?
Dressed impeccably in a blue silk jumpsuit, Ash is cool, calm, and collected – perfectly embodying Aisha's confidence and professional accomplishment while revealing layers of complexity beneath her polished exterior. Rigsby’s portrayal of Holly is a portrait of barely controlled chaos – anxious, defensive, and desperately trying to stake her claim to a narrative she believes to be her own. The contrast between the two contributes to the tension that builds throughout the piece.
It’s a messy situation with no clear answers. Fortunately, Thomas resists the urge to provide a neat resolution, which means you’ll leave with plenty to discuss and debate long after the house lights come up.
MRS. HARRISON is one of those rare productions that succeeds in entertaining while also forcing us to examine our assumptions, in this case about the stories we tell ourselves and others. I highly recommend it.
MRS. HARRISON runs through February 16 at Portland Center Stage. Details and tickets here.
Photo credit: Jingzi Zhao
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