By Matt Monk, Staff Writer
I’m not saying that creating a stage play from nonfiction is easy. In attempting to make political, hard-facts reporting into art, however, it seems that Joan Holden is more concerned with not losing anything in translation, rather than crafting something fit for the stage. Her lackluster adaptation of Barbara Ehrenreich’s best-selling book “Nickel and Dimed,” overshadowed the University’s Department of Drama and Dance’s daring attempt at performing this so-called “play.”
The play follows Barbara, the feminist, freedom-fighting lead (played convincingly by Chelsea Frati). She goes from minimum wage job to minimum wage job as she tries to obtain enough money per month to pay for rent and food. The catch is that Barbara is only involved in this lifestyle as a means of research for the book she has been contracted to write.
The situation itself creates an interesting tension between her and the rest of the characters as she has an escape route (and savings account) if need be. Frati’s Barbara and Jackie Nese as Marge engage in a powerful exchange that hinges on Barbara’s confession that she is a writer from the upper middle class, only working as a waitress at Kenny’s (a fictitious diner based on Denny’s) in order to gain perspective for her book. Frati comes off as pleading and embarrassed in her confession. Nese’s hard demeanor throws Barbara a guilt trip that impacts upon the audience.
Frati artfully oscillates between seething angst, empathy, moral outrage and complete devastation as Barbara. Director Cindy Rosenthal made a gutsy but effective choice in utilizing a small cast, requiring all of the actors (except for Frati) to play multiple roles. Travis Youssef was hilarious and in-your-face as Hector (a short order cook), yet somehow managed to be skin-crawlingly creepy as Pete (a colleague of Barbara’s at a different job). Nese, also demonstrated her range by playing the hard-nosed Gail, and the spacey, “I’m obsessed with egg-salad character” of Ellie. The entire cast deserves to be commended for rising to the challenge of playing multiple roles and performing a poorly written script, yet still managing to keep the audience entertained.
Lynn Wheat’s minimalist approach to the show served to form a visual apparatus mirroring content, which was well done. The music (composed by Mark Sanderlin) and choreography (Matthew Hanley) were also wonderful. The rhythm and pacing within the scenes provided a subtext that formed an overwhelming sense that the audience was really onsite at one of these awful, low-wage jobs.
All in all, the University’s rendition of this politically charged preach-fest is worth seeing, simply because the cast and crew manage to keep the audience entertained even though more than half of the play is centered around long monologues that serve as Holden’s soapbox for wannabe political activism. Kudos to the Department for their valiant attempt. It’s a shame, though, Holden’s lack of artistic subtly had to share the stage.