No More Sad Things
Written by Hansol Jung
R. Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln (map)
thru Dec 20 | tix: $20-$30 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
Poignant but problematic
Sideshow Theatre i/a/w Boise Contemporary Theater presents
No More Sad Things
Review by Lauren Whalen
At its heart, No More Sad Things is a beautiful play. The set is beautiful, the visuals are beautiful, the actors (physically and performance-wise)…you guessed it. Hansol Jung’s rumination on connections lost and found is not only pretty to look at, but has significant substance. However, the script is troubling in that it never quite loses the “ick” factor. Early in the play, the female protagonist makes a fateful decision that has real-life ramifications and consequences…not only does she fully grasp how damaging her actions are, but the playwright doesn’t seem to either. The inherent issues in its script limit the potential of No More Sad Things, and at curtain call, the audience is left wondering what could have been.
I’m going to forgo spoiler alerts in this paragraph, in the interest of discussing No More Sad Things’ most problematic element. Jessiee and Kahekili’s first encounter quickly becomes sexual, and all is temporarily well until she discovers his age. Turns out Jessiee is 32 years old, and Kahekili only 15. While Jessiee does experience angst, and Kahekili confusion mixed with lust (as might any young teenager), Jessiee never seems to realize the depth of her significant mental and emotional issues, or the fact that she has committed sexual assault. Because while she doesn’t have sex with Kahekili again, she proceeds to spend almost every waking moment with him. At one point, she even gets him drunk. Watching the play unfold, I couldn’t help but think that if the genders of the protagonists were reversed, No More Sad Things would never be produced at all. And yet, I got the feeling I was supposed to be watching a twisted love story.
It’s a shame, because the aesthetics are so pleasing. Scenic designer William Boles has created a work of art on the small stage of Victory Gardens’ upstairs theater. A wooden structure that resembles a wave, along with a few symbolic touches and a dash of water, convey everything from an expansive beach to a crowded airplane seat, and Diane Fairchild’s blue and green lighting design is simply exquisite. Costume designer Izumi Inaba dresses both protagonists in layers they can peel off as each reveals more about him- or herself (a choice that could be hokey, but in this case works like a charm). Eva Breneman is a stellar dialect coach – Infantado delivers dialog that’s both accurate and articulate – and director Elly Green aptly keeps the pace moving.
The performers are just as stellar. Collins’ Jessiee is wistful and only occasionally whiny in a way that befits a woman of this age and place in life. Horrible decisions and actions aside, Jessiee is largely sympathetic and relatable. Infantado is both charismatic and questioning, in a bumbling, naive way that mixes perfectly with his considerable charm. Narciso Lobo is by far the strongest of the three. As the “Guidebook,” who serves as a narrator of sorts while also playing roles both minor and major, he strums the ukelele, sings lullabies and changes personas with chameleon-like confidence.
If Kahekili had been 20 years old, or even 17 (as in, just this side of wrong), the strengths of No More Sad Things would have overridden its flaws. I wanted to feel more for Jessiee, to empathize with her mostly poor choices, but as it was, I mostly just wanted to get her into therapy and perhaps on a watch list. Rather than a mature exploration of physical, mental and emotional illness, No More Sad Things often comes off like its youngest character: dangerously naive.
Rating: ★★★
No More Sad Things continues through December 20th at Victory Gardens’ Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $20-$30 (students-seniors-industry: $5 off), and are available by phone (773-871-3000) or online through VictoryGardens.org (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at SideshowTheatre.org. (Running time: 80 minutes, no intermission)
Photos by Jonathan L. Green
artists
cast
Katy Carolina Collins (Jessiee), George Infantado (Kahekili), Narciso Lobo (Guidebook)
behind the scenes
Elly Green (director), William Boles (scenic design, props design), Izumi Inaba (costume design), Diane Fairchild (lighting design), Chris LaPorte (sound design), Eva Breneman (dialect coach), Claire Redfield (assistant director, dramaturg), Ben Dawson (production manager), Chad Hain (technical director), Elyse Estes (stage manager), Allison Grischow (asst. stage manager), Cody Ryan (master electrician), Jason Dunda (poster illustration), Jonathan L. Green (photos)
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