Review: TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS at Little Theatre Of Mechanicsburg
The lovely production is on stage through April 26.
Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things was originally published as a book in 2012. In this book, Strayed gathers together selections from her previously anonymous internet advice column “Dear Sugar”, which first appeared in 2010. Tiny Beautiful Things was adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, and audiences can experience this emotional and inspiring play at Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg under the direction of Patrick Hughes with stage manager Lori Haagen through April 26th.
The script is written in such a way that it gives the director and creative team a great deal of creative freedom when it comes to the set, staging, and casting. The decision to set this production of Tiny Beautiful Things in a coffee shop invites the audience into a space that is familiar, that evokes a sense of both community and comfortable anonymity, and that highlights the fact that so many of our struggles, joys, fears, hopes, frustrations, and so forth are simultaneously universal and individual. The set, designed by Patrick Hughes and James Casey; constructed by James Casey, SJ Casey, Patrick Hughes, and Sam Turpin; painted by Susan Reutter, Kai Reutter, and Steve Reutter; and dressed by Susan Reutter, Catrina Gardner, Lori Haagen, and John Kubasko, is cozy and inviting. The set is so realistic, it made this reviewer reminisce about the many hours she spent reading and writing in various coffee shops over the years. The costumes by Wendy Kubasko and props by Catrina Gardner complete the picture of everyday people going about their everyday lives while experiencing thoughts and feelings unknown by those around them. The lighting design by Bob McCleary enhances the mood of the scene, using often subtle changes to highlight certain moments or evoke certain emotions. The staging is well thought out, making intentional use of the spacing between characters to create feelings of distance and closeness.
The cast of Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg’s Tiny Beautiful Things features Nicholas “Nick” Hughes, Denise Saunders, Maxfield Roach, and Kelli Kauterman. Hughes, Saunders, and Roach take on the roles of the letter writers and readers of the advice column, portraying characters of varying ages and genders. Hughes gives a solid performance throughout, but his portrayal of the “Living Dead Dad” letter writer is riveting and heart-wrenching. Saunders is delightful in her role, displaying great versatility and smoothly transitioning from skeptic to believer as she takes on her different letter writer personas. Additionally, her energy elevates the emotion of the scene. Roach gives one of this reviewer’s favorite performances of the evening. His movements and line delivery are beautifully crafted, adding little nuances that bring each character to life. There is an earnestness and authenticity to Roach’s performance that is mesmerizing. Kauterman ties the entire show together as Sugar, the advice columnist responding to the various writers. Her facial expressions are fantastic, giving the audience a glimpse into her character’s thoughts and feelings even when she’s not saying a word. Kauterman uses her voice in a masterful way to infuse every line with a specific emotion, ranging from sarcasm to anger to frustration to passion to compassion to hope to love.
Tiny Beautiful Things is a beautiful play that speaks to the human condition. Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg has created a lovely production that draws the audience in and reminds us that even in our darkest times there is reason to hope.
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