Review: MOUTHFUL Explores the Growing Crisis of Food Cultivation and Consumption

By: Nov. 14, 2016
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Left to Right: Jackson Pant and Sierra Boudoin
Photo credit: Bret Brookshire

MOUTHFUL is the latest production from St. Edwards University's Mary Moody Northen Theatre. Commissioned and produced last year by Metta Theatre in London, this series of six short plays aims to explore the global food crisis that affects billions of people all over the world. The Combined effort of six acclaimed playwrights, each working in collaboration with a world-renowned scientist, MOUTHFUL delves into various views on sustenance and survival that both comments and warns about our culture's tendency to err on the side of extravagance.

Each one of these playwrights has a completely different approach to addressing the problems surrounding the current and future availability of basic human needs like food and water. The plays go between humorous, disturbing, bizarre, and heartbreaking. Each offers insight into diverse issues such as starvation, over consumption, corruption, exploited farm workers, or what a world without water or fresh produce would look like. As an audience member, you watch these scenes play out before your eyes in rapid succession. Slowly, the realization comes over that you are being eased into a sobering look at the hardships faced by those not born in our lavish, often wasteful society.

The stage, part of Catherine Brandt's set design, resembles the ripples in a body of water after tossing a pebble into its depths. This element complements director Alexandria Bassiakou Shaw's fluid staging, fittingly around a large dining room table. The cast effortlessly moves said table, a few chairs, and an assortment of small props around to create six brand new worlds, with each scene change as unique as the piece it follows.

The responsibility of telling these six individual stories falls on the shoulders of a beautifully diverse cast of actors. Performances ranged from satisfactory to exemplary, but were overall well done, especially considering most of these young actors are St. Edward students. The stand-out play of the evening was Chocolate by Bola Agbaje, which features a fully committed Sierra Boudoin and her scene partner Jackson Pant engaging in a sparring match of words. Boudoin commands every inch of the stage with Pant impressively countering her antics as a less than health conscious woman obsessed with chocolate. Additional noteworthy performances include; Michlynn Langlois and Jarrett King in 16 Pounds by Neil LaBute; and David Herrera and Carla Nickerson in Turned by Inua Ellams.

The only misstep in the piece falls on the actual text of the plays themselves. Certain scenes seemed drawn-out and slow, while others felt like they wrapped up too quickly. The imbalance of information made the overall piece feel uneven. The show's message was received, but a certain selection of these plays would most certainly benefit from additional rewrites to improve pacing.

Overall, MOUTHFUL is an intimate exploration of the ever-growing crisis of food cultivation and consumption. Aided by scientific research, the show pulls the curtain back on society, reveals what truly lies beneath, and forewarns the cost of disregarding its message.

MOUTHFUL is now playing at Mary Moody Northern Theatre (3001 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704) through November 20th, 2016. Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sundays at 2PM.

Approximate Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes. One 10-minute intermission.

Tickets: $25 reserved, $18 for students, seniors and the St. Edward's University community

For more information and to purchase tickets: MMNT website

Special community events:
FOOD DRIVE to coincide with Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week will be underway through the run - donate nonperishable food items.
November 17 - Special guests from Austin's Sustainable Food Center will share information on their programming.



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