Review: ROE at Arena is Fiery, Funny and Heartbreaking

In Washington D.C. we are at the center of political activity. Today we inaugurate the 45th President of the United States and tomorrow thousands are expected to attend the Women's March on Washington. In light of this, the world premiere of ROE at Arena Stage was all the more timely.

ROE, written by Lisa Loomer and directed by Bill Rauch, highlights the women behind the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. Norma McCorvey (Sara Bruner), also known as Jane Roe, is a poor, single woman looking for an abortion. Sarah Weddington (Sarah Jane Agnew) is McCorvey's young lawyer looking to fight for a woman's right to choose. Although, they seem to be on the same side of history, more insight into the case and the lives of these two women might indicate otherwise.

It was a well done piece of theater. Bruner and Agnew were terrific foils for one another and were excellent in their roles. As an ensemble the cast worked well. Every actor was significant to the stage. Not only did you get the sense that every character impacted the story, but it also was evident the actors understood the character's contribution to history.

That said, history was an important motif throughout ROE. Loomer worked hard to tell an even story. She didn't take sides; she tried to be as fair as possible in telling the whole story. At first it confused me. It felt like there were two stories happening that felt distracting from the conversation about feminism. After thinking about it for some time, it ultimately gave me a different understanding of feminism. The layered history behind Roe v. Wade shined light on the strengths of the feminist movement and its weaknesses.

I didn't love the use of projections, but they also didn't distract. I could see their utility with the simple set, which I did like. I liked how the set reflected the divide that exists in the conversation of abortion.

ROE is a reminder as to why theater exists. It is relevant. It is adaptable. It took advantage of what the theater offers. Plays are chosen in advanced, however you have the ability to easily change their contents to adjust with the times or you can choose exactly when it will be released. The same cannot always be said with movies for example. Not only could Arena easily release ROE in line with the Inauguration, they could adjust the text and meaning based off of the current Supreme Court vacancy and the result of the election.

I highly recommend ROE. If you are interested in women's rights it is obviously a great choice. It is also perfect for those simply interested in getting a better understanding of how storytelling impacts history.

ROE is at Arena Stage through Feb. 19. For tickets visit, www.arenastage.org or call 202-554-9066. Run time is about 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15 minute intermission.