One thing I tend to ask myself when I’m watching a play is how will the work change my behavior. \u00a0After watching Scarlet O’Conner in last night’s performance of “String of Pearls” I don’t think I’ll be using the word “old” when referring to women. \u00a0O’Conner was by turns goofy, seductive, blunt, honest, vibrant, lackadaisical and coy. \u00a0But not “old.”<\/p>\n
The story line rests on a string of pearls (or pearl necklace, depending on the reference) which not only has a double\u00a0entendre but also clever relationship to the characters. \u00a0The pearls go from given to lost to found to stolen and back again to given, and reveal the best and worst of the people wearing them.<\/p>\n
The cast — O’Conner,\u00a0\u00a0Denise Mayberry, Gayle Tominaga, Yuri Tajiri, Bridgett Bess, Alexandra Barthel, Christine Lovette, Erian Dimond — portray 27 different characters ranging from poor, rich, young, not so young, very young, childish, mature, large, petite, extra large, flat chested and bosomy. \u00a0None of them seem typical compared to each other, and yet their struggles are very common. They\u00a0deal with weakness, ambition, isolation, depression, lust, selfishness and selflessness, the circumstances ranging from mundane to dangerous. \u00a0 And the beauty of the thing is that all of them\u00a0acquire the most sublime kind of wisdom. \u00a0Which is to say optimism in the face of tough times — the idea that life is actually worth living.<\/p>\n
I should also point out that hearing women talk so bluntly and honestly is refreshing.<\/p>\n
Congratulations to the cast and crew on a great closing show.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One thing I tend to ask myself when I’m watching a play is how will the work change my behavior. \u00a0After watching Scarlet O’Conner in last night’s performance of “String of Pearls” I don’t think I’ll be using the word … Continue reading