This week I had the opportunity to attend a rehearsal of Relative Theatrics upcoming regional premiere of Wanda, Daisy, & The Great Rapture. I reached out to Artistic Director Anne Mason to see if I could see a final rehearsal run since I would not be able to see the show during its run, and since it is a regional premier, I felt the importance of supporting the new work. Because I was permitted to view the show early, I unfortunately cannot weigh in on the design elements in this review.
Playwright Alexis Schaetzle has crafted a beautiful, complex, and sweet world that is full of the spite of spurned children, and confused memories, but it is not without hope. It feels as if Sam Shephard wandered out of the deserts of New Mexico and into the swamps of the Carolinas. Each of Schaetzle’s characters are exquisitely created through their faults and foibles. Each too stubborn, or selfish to recognize the help others are offering.
The play begins with Daisy played by UW freshman Kat Tyler, a 17-year-old delinquent arriving home from the church led reformation school she’s been forced to attend, sneaking into her father’s home unannounced. The intrusion wakes her father Bud played by Alec Shea, who steps onto the porch looking for a mysterious gator that has been encroaching on the family home. As he stands in the yard, his wife Theresa Lee played by Janel Seeley, enters from the ether, telling him to go to bed. The following morning, we meet Makayla Buzsek’s Wanda, Daisy 21-year-old step-sister as she hangs laundry. Daisy comes out for a cigarette; surprising Wanda and the two step sisters immediately begin to argue.
Through this first argument we begin to understand just how disfunctionally real this family is. From this point on, Schaetzle repeatedly sets us as an audience up, only to remove the rug from under our feet. Every time I found myself wanting to side with one sister or the other, some a detail from earlier in the show would come up again, slowly revealing more information about characters and situations, forcing me as an audience member feel the emotional weight of the family, as well as that of the individual characters. Wanda has been forced to help take care of Bud and the house. Daisy is struggling to understand why her father favors Wanda. Theresa Lee has recently departed but is struggling to leave. And Bud, with what appears to be early stages of Alzheimer’s is the glue holding everything together. The flow and ebb of Wanda, Daisy, and the Great Rapture is difficult at times. Just as momentum of many scenes begins to pick up, a scene change occurs, slamming on the brakes disconnecting me from the action of the play. Occasionally scene changes were fluid and simple, a fragrant memory washing over. I am hesitant to speak too harshly towards transitions that felt clunky, especially because there were no technical elements when I viewed the show, but I worry.
There are many new faces to Relative Theatrics with this production. Kat Tyler brings a wonderful weathered teen angst to the stage. Kat has crafted a character whose desire to prove to her step-sister Wanda that she has changed. The beauty in Kat’s work, is that every time we see Daisy make a choice Wanda would disapprove of, Daisy knows it. I for one, greatly appreciate bearing witness to the struggles of a character to make choices.
Mikayla Buzsek does a marvelous job as the oldest child struggling to make the most responsible decisions for the family. At first Buzsek’s Wanda seems so together, so clear in her path, but like many of us it is a mask. Buzsek crumbling apart throughout the production was slow, painful, and as the oldest child, relatable.
Another new face to the Relative Theatrics stage is Alec Shea. Alec as Bud was perhaps the most engaging character to watch craft. The character of Bud is terribly complex. With Bud’s recent loss of his wife, one daughter returning home, the other daughter wanting to leave, all topped off with dementia and Alzheimer’s, Alec could have played into the mental disease. Instead he carefully crafted an interesting, thoughtful, well rounded character full of quirks and tics (I personally loved the minute signals to how bad his dementia was about to affect him). Best of all Bud was constantly engaged in every moment onstage, even when he could easily tune into his own world, he was with us in each moment.
The third new face to the Relative Theatrics stage is Janel Seeley in her debut performance as Theresa Lee. Theresa Lee is perhaps the second most difficult character to craft, and Janel clearly is doing her best, but there is a disconnect somewhere in the process. Theresa Lee, a ghost of her former self, appears to offer tidbits of passive aggressive advice to the anyone who will listen. She helps Bud by offering him happy memories, but only of her. The character seems omnipresent, but structurally I’m not certain why she’s there. Janel seemed to struggle with these elements as an actor as well. Her movements and speech patterns often felt confused and unsure. She seemed to have helpful answers for everyone, but felt uncertain in her own convictions, leading me to wonder if it’s her choice to help her family, or she’s trapped by them.
Productions like this are what theatre is about. They take big risks, tell complex and relatable stories, require a huge amount of trust among actors, as well as between cast and director. If something in my schedule changes, I will definitely be seeing this production in its full splendor.
Wanda, Daisy, & The Great Rapture by Alexis Schaetzle runs
April 4, 5, 6 and 10, 11, 12, and 13 at 7:30 pm
with a matinee performance on April 7 at 3:00 pm
You can purchase tickets at:
www.relativetheatrics.com