Review: OH MY HEART, OH MY HOME at Studio Theatre
Of memories and meteorites from the Edinburgh Fringe (2023) @ Stage 4 through September 22
Casey Jay Andrews' lovely one-act, Oh My Heart, Oh My Home, narrates the story of Freddie, born in her grandfather's home on the same day a meteorite landed nearby. Freddie plans to spend her 33rd birthday there with her beloved grandfather who now lives there on his own. The house and the landscape around it hold fond meaning for Freddie; her grandparents' love story can be told through Freddie's memories of events in the house, the small town near it, and the trees that populate the area as if they were fellow citizens.
Andrews, whose other day job is as a designer for theatre, has ample language talents too. Her eloquently visual script is complemented by a charming dollhouse-sized model of grandfather's home, some realistic home movies, images of the night sky filled with galaxies and moving stars, and an adorable clip of I've Got a Secret--a staple on CBS from 1952-1967 when TV audiences didn't shriek, Masters/Mistresses of Ceremonies didn't yell, and demeaning people on live TV was considered bad form. Garry Moore, RIP.
In addition to writing and designing it, Andrews performs the 75-minute show with skillful shifts in time and tone. She easily moves from recalling the childhood spent in the house to breaking the fourth wall to educate the audience on the science of meteor showers, comets, and meteorites. One minute she's describing how her grandparents cared for each other, and another she's telling the engrossing events of this very birthday eve. It's brilliant storytelling, beautifully rendered. Thus, it is the more inexplicable why directors Dom Allen and Steve McCourt would allow the sound design of George Jennings and the "music" he wrote with Jack Brett to ever be louder than one word of Andrews' outstanding script. The levels at which the gratuitous soundtrack is consistently played guarantee that the audience will not be able to hear every word of the play--an unnecessary, regrettable loss.
Photo Credit: Late Cut Media
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