Review: THE TOTALITY OF ALL THINGS at The Road Theatre

The West Coast premiere of Erik Gernand’s THE TOTALITY OF ALL THINGS at the Road Theatre Company in North Hollywood is a searing look at morals, ethics, and the gray areas that can be found in even the most honest truths.

Taking place in October 2015 in the small town of Lewiston, Indiana, soon after the legalization of gay marriage in the United States, it is LGBT History Month and high school journalism instructor Judith (Christina Carlisi) intends to use it as a learning tool even if it ruffles some conservative feathers. This sets in motion a hate crime that rocks the town, the school, and every citizen, teacher, and student, leading to tragedy.

Gernand does a phenomenal job of giving complexity to each character, even the ones who are at odds with what many people would consider to be lacking in principles. Even our heroine, Judith, a bull-headed liberal, isn’t just fighting the good fight—she can’t get out of the way of her self-righteousness. The story, while taking place a decade ago, is, sadly, even more relevant today. It has a “ripped from the headlines” sense to it, though Gernand’s story is topical without being preachy. There are some shocking revelations at the end, not plot twists just information we didn’t put together, and it will take audiences’ collective breath away while adding significant depth to what has come before.

Director Taylor Nichols keeps the tone and the pacing on point, as the story gets traction and the characters and their relationships start to fracture. He could have easily allowed the energy to turn frantic, or even melodramatic, but he has a steady hand, allowing things to spiral without seeming like anything is out of control.

Meeghan Holaway as Judith’s friend and colleague offers a cheery brightness that hides darker aspects of her personality that she would think were designed to “agree to disagree on,” though they are defects more than aspects. Victor Kallett as an awkward gay teenager assigned to write about the hate crime for the school paper embodies hesitation, vulnerability, fear, and strength, all at the same time. And Carlisi is a star, as usual. Judith is such a thorny character, it could be difficult to root for her, even when she’s fighting for justice, but Carlisi brings shadings to her that are both written and simply understood. She plumbs the depths of Judith, finding humanity within her layers of piousness.

While the nature of truth is always complicated, the difference between right and wrong should not be. Gernand’s electrifying story may not change minds, but ideally it will make some think.

Photo credits: Lizzy Kimball

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