Lorena: a Tabloid Epic
By Eliana Pipes
Directed by Erica Terpening-Romeo
Review by Doug Holder
Back in 1993, Lorena Bobbitt castrated her husband, John Bobbitt. Lorena was the victim of violent domestic abuse from her husband, and as a result she took matters in her own 'hands.' By cutting the 'manhood' of her partner, she received some payback from all she suffered. This production, written by Eliana Pipes was developed at the Boston Playwrights' theatre at Boston University. It started as a classroom exercise, but now has hit the bright lights of the small stage.
If you remember this event, it created a whole median circus, with tee-shirts displaying disembodied members, crass jokes for late night comedians, the whole ball of wax. The two principle players in this play within a play, were made into gross parodies of themselves. The nuances of their lives, the deep, marrow pain, was brushed aside. These two tragic figures were part of a bizarre reality game show.
The production, to put it mildly was riveting. The cast was energetic, emotive, and seemed to bounce off of each other well. Constant images of text on the wall, strobe lights, yellow intrusive TV cameras made for an unsettling chaos for the viewers. The play starts out with a bunch of snarky young people, viewing the trials and travails of this tragic couple, as a source of popcorn-munching entertainment--nothing more. But soon enough they have their own 'long journey into night', as the this 'slice of life' play progresses.
A very interesting conceit is having the playwright injected into the play. Played brilliantly by Valyn Lyric Turner, she tries to hold off an increasing confrontational onslaught of questions from her cast. They demanded more raw emotion from her. But the playwright had her own black dogs to keep at bay, and wanted to intellectualize, rather than go into the shoals of messy emotion.
Lorena, played by Gabriela Medina-Toledo, is certainly not a static character, and Toledo does an effective job of portraying her evolution from a caricature to a real flesh and blood person.
As I walked out of the theatre, I saw this band of young actors, and complimented them on their performance. Later I spied Valyn Lyric Turner, and shouted " Hey playwright--marvelous job!" I surprised myself--I am a very reserved person--but something in me, wanted to make it known.
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