Review: UP, DOWN, STRANGE, CHARMED, BEAUTY, AND TRUTH at Cabe Theatre At Hendrix College

Hendrix College in Conway, one of the premier liberal arts institutions in the United States, is a true gem nestled right here in Central Arkansas. At Hendrix, students are immersed in a continual journey of discovery, and the theatre department exemplifies that spirit. For their Senior Seminar, The Hendrix Players brought both grit and grace to the stage with Up, Down, Strange, Charmed, Beauty, and Truth April 24-26. Written by Edward Allan Baker and directed by Katie Baker, the three-person cast delivered an unflinching portrayal of fractured relationships, raw emotion, and hard truths. It was a powerful and compelling display of their educational culmination, proving how deeply these students have engaged with their craft. 

Marley (Bella Kerby) and Steph (Ivy Branum) are sisters desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of their mother’s house. Clinging to hope for a better life, they attempt to enlist the help of their favorite uncle, Danny (Jake Nurkin), whose life has unraveled after years of disappointment and emotional estrangement. What begins as a hopeful plan to start fresh quickly unravels into a tense and emotionally charged encounter. 

Steph was beaten up by her mother after she discovered that Steph has a girlfriend. This act of violence becomes the final straw for the sisters, so the girls lure Danny to the house under the pretense that Marley needs help with her homework. Once he arrives, they reveal their true motive: they have a letter from his estranged daughter and know where she lives. If Danny agrees to take them away, they promise to give him the information, dangling the possibility of reconciliation with his daughter in exchange for their own escape. 

What follows is a volatile reckoning that takes an unexpected turn. Marley’s true feelings about Steph and her relationship come to light, adding emotional complexity to an already fraught situation. And since Marley is only sixteen, Uncle Danny decides he can’t take her with them, no matter how desperate she is to leave. The ending is more somber than anticipated, leaving behind a sense of heartbreak and unresolved tension that lingers well after the final moment. 

The three-person cast, composed of Jake Nurkin, Bella Kerby, and Ivy Branum delivered deeply felt performances that revealed not only their individual strengths but a commendable ensemble chemistry. Nurkin, as the bitter and embattled Danny, brought a seething undercurrent of frustration and broken dreams to the stage. His performance was visceral, never slipping into caricature, even in his most aggressive moments. Nurkin played Danny with a rough edge, but one that was always grounded in something heartbreakingly human. 

 Bella Kerby’s Marley was a standout, offering a complex portrayal of someone caught in a web of loyalty and loss. Kerby found a delicate balance between vulnerability and resilience. Her reactions were layered and lived-in, showing how much Marley listens and absorbs before she speaks, a trait that made her moments of confrontation feel all the more powerful. 

 As Steph, Ivy Branum injected the production with a necessary burst of clarity and contrast. With a presence that felt both intuitive and knowing, Branum made Steph’s quieter strength impossible to ignore. She approached the role with sharp timing and emotional precision, rounding out the dynamic between the trio with an air of grounded calm amidst the storm. 

 Katie Baker’s direction showcased a clear understanding of the play’s rhythms and silences. The pacing was tight, and the blocking allowed the characters to both collide and retreat in meaningful ways. Nothing felt arbitrary; every shift in physicality or vocal tone felt motivated and urgent. There was a palpable tension that simmered throughout the performance, but Baker wisely gave the piece room to breathe, allowing quieter moments to land with equal weight as the explosive ones. 

 The technical elements were kept minimal, a smart choice that let the performances take center stage. The set was functional and gritty, echoing the working-class setting without overwhelming the scene. 

 Ultimately, this Senior Seminar production proved to be a bold and compelling showcase of student talent, one that revealed a willingness to wrestle with difficult themes and sit in discomfort. Up, Down, Strange, Charmed, Beauty, and Truth isn’t about resolution; it’s about confrontation of pasts, of identities, and what will come. And in this production, the Hendrix Players met that confrontation head-on with courage and a commitment to their characters. 

For more information about joining this daring theatrical family, visit their website at https://www.hendrix.edu.  

PRODUCTION STAFF

Director, Costume Designer, Sound Designer -- Katie Baker

Stage Manager, Set Designer, Lighting Designer -- Lovey Krone

Assistant Stage Managers -- Monica Clampitt, Aiya Davis

Techincal Director -- Lauren Ayn Lusk

Assistant Lighting Designer -- Andrew Lawrence

Assistant Sound Designer -- Autumn Alsup

Light Programmer -- Cora Mattson

Light Board Operator -- Maddy Konkle

Sound Board Operator -- Kennedy Cox

Props Artisan -- Audrey Young

Senior Seminar Facilitator, Stage Violence Choreographer -- Antonio Horne

Production Design Mentor -- Rita Woodward

Front of House Staff -- Forest All britton, Connor Eilerts, Jae Hurd

Poster Designer -- Alistair Luke