Jordan Shoemaker and Isabel Kret (Photo by Jennifer Taylor)
Reviewed by Iris Mann
Living Truthfully Theater, The Taylor Studio
Through October 19
This play by Jennifer Taylor, who also directs, has great potential. Taylor is inventive in her dramatization of the often-catastrophic fallout from the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe vs. Wade, the landmark decision that provided federal protection for a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. Now that the legality of abortion has been turned back to the states, fourteen states have placed near total bans on abortion, resulting in an increase in deaths from problem pregnancies.
There is a simplicity to the dialogue and the structure of the play that would enhance its impact, but for the limitations of this production. Taylor’s direction and the power of the subject matter are diluted by the cramped performing space and the awkward scene changes, making the presentation seem more like a rehearsal than a finished offering.
In a sequence of scenarios, Taylor, who is openly advocating for reproductive rights, depicts five stories, based on actual cases, that illustrate the threat to women’s lives, health and well-being due to a ban on abortion in certain states. She uses the vehicle of a talk show, called 24 Hours Update, on which the host, Taylor (Isabel Kret, who embodies the demeanor of an interviewer in control), queries women whose lives have been severely damaged as a result of the restrictions.
The interviews then morph into key scenes portraying the women’s devastating experiences in places that limit or outlaw their ability to terminate dangerous pregnancies. In one scene that takes place in Idaho, Becky (Jordan Whitney Shoemaker), whose water has broken too soon, faces the possibility of developing sepsis if she fails to miscarry and expel the fetus completely. Normally, an abortion would be indicated, but in Idaho she can’t have that procedure because the fetus still has a heartbeat.
In another case from Texas, Angela (Ama Konadu in one of two roles) is carrying a dead fetus (in which case an abortion would be legal), but no clinic is willing to perform an abortion in the second trimester. She eventually gets an infection and asks for a c-section, but is told it isn’t allowed — so she is induced and forced to deliver a dead baby.
Among the other segments is one concerning a pregnancy resulting from incest, while another deals with a pregnant woman in Mississippi whose boyfriend ends their relationship. She is left unable to end her pregnancy because of that state’s abortion ban and without the resources to relocate to a state with more flexible laws.
In addition to the production’s physical limitations, the performances are uneven. The cast, comprised of present and former students of the studio, is obviously committed to the project, but a good deal of the work needs to be sharpened. Several of the actors tend to become almost inaudible, particularly in the Idaho vignette.
However, some of the work merits mention. Conveying his character’s angry frustration, understudy Phillip Latini gives a particularly strong performance in the role of a doctor hamstrung by his inability to adequately treat a pregnant woman in distress.
Konadu immerses herself in the dual roles of Angela, anguishing over being forced to give birth to a dead baby, and Chelsea, who is sympathetic but infuriated because her friend, Becky, who faces the threat of becoming septic, is barred from terminating her pregnancy. The actor clearly delineates each character and fully realizes the essence of each one.
There is also an explosive scene between Harmony (Charly M. Taylor), an incest victim who refuses to report her rapist — which would allow her to obtain a legal abortion — and her friend, Mandy (Katie Kay), who implores her to turn him in and offers her money for the procedure. The two actors play off each other well, and the result is highly effective.
Under more favorable conditions, the play could well provide a riveting experience for viewers and even inspire a gut-level outrage.
Living Truthfully Theater, The Taylor Studio, 2401 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm; thru Oct. 19. https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/c15205b8-8abb-4ac4-98a9-120c104ab778. Running time: one hour.
