Review: ON CLOVER ROAD at Santa Fe Playhouse

How do you review a play like On Clover Road without giving the play away? That is the conundrum faced here. Playwright Steven Dietz, best known for his much-produced version of Dracula, has created a play that is gripping, spine-tingling,  scary, emotional and full of so many plot twists that it’s hard to believe it only has a running time of 90 minutes start to finish.

In a nutshell, the story revolves around Kate (expertly played by NYC actor Kelsey Landon), a mother who is desperate to find her young daughter who has been kidnapped and has been living in a religious cult for several years. She hires Stine (a menacing and commanding Vic Browder), a well-known cult deprogrammer. They meet on Clover Road (get it?) at an abandoned, decrepit hotel room, where Stine will bring Kate’s daughter to begin to unravel the work of the cult. Along the way, three others come into the story – 2 characters named Girl (standout, honest and creepy performances by both actors, Tris Ikeda and Chloe Carson), as well as Harris, the cult leader himself, played with a balanced level of sleaze and charisma by Playhouse regular Patrick MacDonald.

As far as the plot goes, I really don’t want to give you more than that. This is a play to experience firsthand.  All of the performances are strong, emotional and raw. There are many unsettling and uncomfortable moments, but they are necessary to build the tension, the action and the eventual resolution of the story.

Once again, the Playhouse is stretching its limits and creating a space that is completely immersive. Big props to Director Antonio Miniño for making strong choices and creating fast-paced, claustrophobic staging; aided in a huge way by the beautiful work of Set Designer Paige Hathaway, Lighting Designer Max Doolittle and Sound Designer Saibi Khalsa. Fight Director Sydney Schwindt, Fight Captain Tris Ikeda and Intimacy Director Zoe Burke did a wonderful job with this very physical and disturbing show – even though the characters are all in a dangerous situation, the actors are supported and safe, which allows them to go deep.

Be prepared to be on the edge of your seat and just remember to breathe as you experience On Clover Road. Get tickets before the run sells out (the last several shows at this venue have done just that!).

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