The
new play, In a Word by Lauren Yee is raw beyond language. It is emotionally raw and
true and painful and sometimes funny. It accomplishes a great deal in 80 swift
minutes.
In
a Word is the story of Fiona who is gut wrenchingly portrayed by Laura Ramadei.
Fiona and her husband Guy (an excellent Jose Joaquin Perez) lost their son two
years ago, and they haven’t been able to really talk to each other about it.
Anger and guilt and frustration and self-preservation have thrown up a wall of
silence between them. And in the two years since, neither has been able, or willing, to work through the silence.
Over
the course of the play, the story of Tristan, their son, is told. How he came
into their lives, how he disrupted their life and how they learned to accommodate him
and their marriage. But now Guy is ready to talk and to start living again. Guy is ready to move on with his
wife, but Fiona isn’t really ready to be a wife again.
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| Laura Ramadei, Jose Joaquin Perez (background Justin Mark) - photo Hunte Canning |
Justin
Mark plays Tristan (and a variety of other roles) with a painfully open honesty
that is heartfelt and touching. He is terrific.
In
a Word is not a linear play. Flashbacks tell us who these people are, how they
got here, what changed and what they are missing. Any child will change a
marriage. A difficult child will change a marriage a lot. A missing child may
well destroy this one. The shifts in story are easy to understand, well laid out and bring a clarity to the piece.
The
beauty of In a Word lies is demonstrating what cannot be expressed. Is there a word for heartbroken
/ relieved? Can you be sad / guilty / self-loathing and in love? Lauren Yee has
written a wonderful play where the words are important, critical and still not
enough. It is though provoking and intelligent.
Excellent
direction by Tyne Rafaeli makes In a Word feel complete and satisfying from a
story that might not be either. Some scenes are played and then replayed from
different perspectives, with the listener hearing something different than what
the speaker is saying. And yet, it is never confusing for the audience.
In
a Word is lovely, sometimes funny, always sincere and moving. It makes me ache
for the right words to explain it.
In A Word
| Playwright: Lauren Yee | Director: Tyne Rafaeli | Cast: Jose Joaquin Perez,
Justin Mark, Laura Ramadei | Website
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