Review: IN THE WAKE at The Bent

Good theatre can be socially and emotionally regulatory. Finding a safe space to talk about heavy things in a nice way, in an ugly way, straight forward, or hidden in plain sight—The Bent’s production of In the Wake by Lisa Kron offered this in a really good piece of theatre. In the Wake of this production, I found myself mentally replaying its powerful moments; the ripples of conversation begging me to revisit important life questions that don’t always have answers. Fans of deep conversations pondering the human condition will love to talk about this production with their date for the evening.

The story follows Ellen (Kim Schroeder Long), a bright star of sorts, cunning and ambitious, alive and real, and raw, and the difficult decisions love and liberty present us with.

Kron writes a play so strong that my personal observations of major themes are compact. The play is clever. It is the first production I have seen at The Bent, and from even just the curtain speech there was love in the air. Great theatre is made with love. No big budget or celebrity can replace it. This was great theatre.

The character work throughout the ensemble was deep and nuanced. The cast appeared to enjoy performing with each other, which always speaks so loudly in the work. There was a presence on the stage, and throughout the house that can be described as female: Complex, sensual, intelligent, hopeful, and a little blinded by our vantage point. I think there is a reason ships are named after females. To be a female is to not just be a captain of your own ship, rather, you are the ship and the captain. Plus you must also be the elements and make the waves.

But this is a play for all adult people. People who love. People who have felt a desire for it, considered it, was hurt by it, fears it, felt it’s ability to open us in unknown ways—and its sense of humor, which In the Wake offers most intelligently. Viewing live theatre like this strengthens the connections between those who will see it together. I highly recommend taking somebody you really like to chat with. Make cocktail plans afterwords, you are going to want to discuss!

Structurally, the production see-saws back and forth elegantly between frustrating news clips from 2001-2005 and the tenement that the characters reside in. The sound and video is by Nick Wass. The set by Jason Reale is fantastic—homey and personal. The direction by Laura Sterns was gifted; it is not easy to move back and forth between multiple frequented locations in a unit set and have each environment feel so defined. Not just defined, but have these spaces truly bring out different energies that the experiences they offer magnify. The lighting design by Damian Jesus Mercado was warm and complementary.

The cast is as follows: Kim Schroeder Long as Ellen, who offers a luminous and grounded performance as the lead. Ashley Robinson as Danny, her companion, played joyfully and realistically. The exciting J. Clare Merritt as the lovely and compelling Amy.  Sharianne Greer as Judy, who I suspect was everybody’s favorite. Greer’s powerful monologue toward the end of the second act was one of the most memorable moments. Greer held our attention every time she spoke—or chose not to—which was comedically effective and thoughtful acting. Fun and friendly performances Kudra Wagner as Kayla and Jessica Lenz as Laurie, who you wish were your upstairs neighbors, and an impressive performance of convincing naiveté from Allie Hebb as Tessa. The casting and direction by Laura Sterns was elevated to the highest level of theatrical greatness.