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Chatham Life & Style

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Chatham Life & Style is a digital magazine based in central North Carolina. Since 2018, we have sought to amplify queer, neurodivergent, BIPOC, and women writers as they speak to and about our community through music & theatre reviews and events coverage. If you are interested in writing with us, please reach out.

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THEATRE REVIEW: Surreal Accounts of Personal Survival at WTF

July 16, 2020|Destiny Whitaker, theatre

by Destiny Whitaker, guest writer

Women’s Theatre Festival 2020

To see the schedule of events or purchase workshop tickets, click HERE. 

All WTFringe shows are unticketed with a $10 suggested donation.

Watch the performances stream live on Twitch.


Adventures of the Red Wolves

★★★1/2

Devised & Performed by The Red Wolves Ensemble: Rachel Custer, Carla BaNu Dejesus, Carrie Klewin Lawrence, Lydia Lea Real, and Kendra Truett

July 4 & 11, 2020

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Rachel Custer as Red 1/Leia in "Adventures of the Red Wolves."
Rachel Custer as Red 1/Leia in "Adventures of the Red Wolves."

When tuning in to the virtual performance of mini-play Adventures of the Red Wolves by The Red Wolves Ensemble--a devised theatre laboratory--I did not know what to expect. We were told it was an improv show of sorts, structured to change based on the reactions of an on-camera audience volunteer. The show played out via Zoom conference (so the audience could participate in the action) and Twitch stream (if you only wished to observe). I chose the latter, as I had no plan to choose-my-own-adventure. But Twitch was a bit of trouble to navigate and it seemed that communication between the cast, crew, and audience resulted in some klutzy moments--which is to be expected in a less-structured play. I believe the same would have occurred had this been performed in front of a live audience pre-COVID 19. 

The story was a unique one, placing Harriet Tubman, Princess Leia, and Mary Magdalene in a #BlackLivesMatter-inspired action thriller. The “staging” itself was surprisingly seamless, the introductions and interactions occurring naturally, as if actually in-person. The overlapping dialogue, frantic pacing, and lack of captioning made it hard for me to understand what was happening at times, especially as a person with audio processing trouble--meaning the story was inaccessible at pivotal points. 

The highlight of the show was “round two” where an elementary-aged child was the audience participant. He was an absolute delight. As a Black/Indigenous young adult myself, my heart broke a little when the audience was required to vote for the best way to root out the revolutionaries (making a point about complacency), and chose tear gas. I felt a multitude of things all at once.

Red 2/Harriet Tubman (Carla BaNu Dejesus) was by far the production’s star. When her voice appeared from off-screen, echoing the words of George Floyd, I felt as if I was “there” in the street with him. Her inflection was perfect throughout and her recovery quick when improv went somewhat awry.

This play is very surreal and works well as a virtual piece, telling a clear story. While the material could be tightened-up, I am optimistic about the play’s development and look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Red Wolves Ensemble. 


Her Hotel

★★★★

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Rebecca Lee Lerman

Orchestrations by Matt Park

Directed by Jessica Wu

Performed by Alex Chester, Rebecca Lee Lerman, Uton Onyejekwe, Matt Park

Listen to the cast recording of The Heartbreak Hotel HERE.

July 11 & 25, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rebecca Lee Lerman as Her in "Her Hotel."
Rebecca Lee Lerman as Her in "Her Hotel."

This full-length production, a “virtual rock dream” adapted for live video from a stage concert musical called The Heartbreak Hotel, combines live scenes and taped music video segments. It blew me away; most of the time I was in pure awe. As an actor, singer, arranger, and writer myself, the concept of a virtual musical intrigued me deeply and I was very impressed with how well it was executed. I was thrilled to experience a Chinese American artist’s work--something all-too rare in the theatre and I was greatly immersed in the trippy, surreal ambiance.

At times the dialogue felt a bit hokey, but that can often be the case with musicals, especially such psychological ones. Being adapted for streaming, certain things such as slight delays, glitches during live segments, or delayed “passing” of items from one person to another did not shock me or disrupt the storytelling. The story’s pacing, though, began to lag towards the end as segments grew lengthier than necessary.

Every actor in the show had necessary moments of reality and intricate emotion with musical stylings reminiscent of the 1990s: Her (played by writer-composer Rebecca Lee Lerman, who originated the role in its concert and reading versions last year) reminded me of Alanis Morissette with a twinge of Lady Gaga: a raving compliment, trust me. This will definitely be a show that sticks with me.

WTFringe is itself revolutionary. With every revolution there is trial and error before a stride is hit. But they’re inching towards it slowly but surely. And I highly recommend you look into the shows and artists presenting this month. -- D. Whitaker


Destiny Whitaker (she/her) is a resident of Eastern NC and a rising Sophomore at Pitt Community College, earning her Associates Degree in Arts. She is a singer, actor, writer, arranger, content creator and curator, stage Manager, hobbyist genealogist, and hopes to work professionally in the arts and become a librarian. Destiny is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator of Cuil Press, LLC. and Youth Advisor Chair, Junior, of the IAPMD foundation. She most recently interned remotely for Crushing Colonialism and has an eclectic range of interests. She refers to herself as a Student for and of life. You can follow all of her endeavors and adventures via Instagram @DestinyRWhitaker. 

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