Loud Fridge Theatre Group presents second mainstage production, Boy My Greatness
I mean, when has the patriarchy not been challenging, in the way, or just plain out noisy?
Loud Fridge Theatre Group’s second mainstage production, Boy My Greatness, encompasses much of that, also serving as a love letter to the craft of theatre and actors while dissecting the action and showing audiences behind-the-scenes happenings through a rehearsal process.
The play takes place in 1606 in London’s Globe Theater, when it was frowned upon for women to be onstage, so instead, all female characters were played by young male actors, known as boy players. Playwright Zoe Senese-Grossberg explores this as well as how young boys were “mentored” to play these different characters, love interests, and seductresses in the Shakespeare plays along with older men. There are various layers here that I appreciated; the “aging out” of roles is so true, accompanied by the insecurities that the unknown or next steps might bring. Something semi-related that came to mind while watching the performance is how actors grow up and keep coming back to the same show as they age. For example, in the musical Les Misérables, there have been performers who start out as Gavroche, grow up to play Marius, and then reach the pinnacle as Jean Valjean or Javert. (It could also be Monsieur Thénardier, but I do not want to digress). It’s the case for many blockbuster musicals, and the industry is like that. You know, dear reader, I take you into my brain when I write these, so there you go. Moving on…
John Sharpe (Michael Rodriguez) is the mentor or veteran of a troupe that is rehearsing Antony and Cleopatra. Tom (Jacob Lopez), the group’s star, is fantastic as Cleopatra and not shy about it. Still, uncertainty lurks as he is becoming a young adult. Harry (Jaysten Merced Ares) and Hal (Phoenix Velona) are close onstage and offstage, while Hal is sure of what he wants and with whom he wants it; Harry is on a different page. Robin (August Nickoli) is literally the new kid on the block, a histrionic prodigy with all the thirst and drive to take the boards by storm. Sam (Maybelle Shimizu), a former boy player in the troupe, is considered an outcast, and after his life experience, he wants to make things right.
I usually don’t know what I am walking into when seeing a show, aside from the ones I am familiar with, but I try to keep the experience as close to a bingo card as possible, and Christy Reid absolutely completed the assignment with the set design because as soon as I walked in, I was like, “oh, The Globe”. Practical, subtle, clear. Another slam dunk is Heather Nunn’s costume designs. Detailed, flowy, and velvety with the right accessories. I would proudly wear some of those pieces out and in the office. Directed by Lee Engelman, the play starts out fast and a tad ruffled; some 20 minutes in, it began to sync and catch its breath. Engelman had the flow between the actors palpable, culminating in a catharsis, all in unison, on stage and in the house. A lovely and not easy task.
Michael Rodriguez embodies both the boy-player nostalgia and a tender mentor/paternal feel. Jacob Lopez, whom we saw last in Airness, delivered the intention of and for Tom with precision and plenty of heart. Phoenix Velona is meticulous and detailed in his scenes, performing with care and grace while sharing most of the stage time with Jaysten Merced Ares, who was sweet and playful, truly conveying the mixed feelings between what society says is right and what is felt inside. August Nickoli, as the passionate and driven Robin, clearly brought the character’s ambition and naivety. Maybelle Shimizu as Sam came through with powerful scenes, also courtesy of Jacob Bruce’s fight and Kandace Crystal’s intimacy direction. Shimizu also has a beautiful sequence involving getting ready to go onstage, that was just breathtaking.
Mashun Tucker’s lighting became more prominent as the play evolved, contouring monologues and important moments, while Hayden St. Clair’s sound highlighted the scenes I mentioned, gifting the audience with meaningful, poetic moments rounded out by Jackson Taitano’s choreography. Now more than ever, theatres are STRUGGLING capital S, some even agonizing. In these times when creativity is being threatened, shooed away in favor of packaged, brief, boxed messaging, this production gave genuine self-expression breath and life.
Nothing can beat live theatre and its prompting of questions, community, and heart.
The playwright mentions in the program letter that “this play was written to explore trans feminity in particular”. The power of the arts also lies in the beauty of perception, and for me, this undeniably queer story, as Zoe calls it, went beyond.
Another round of applause to Loud Fridge por no quitar el dedo del renglón, for casting young and coming artists as well as new and young theatre audiences, as we need these combinations now more than ever.
Syd Gager is the Stage Manager for this production.
Boy My Greatness is currently running until July 19. Tickets are free, and reservations are encouraged.
