For The Love Of (or, the roller derby play) 

Reviewed by Dana Martin 
Theatre of NOTE 
Through May 26th 

Roller derby, like life, is a contact sport. Every so often you get knocked down, you take an elbow to the face, but you get up and keep going. And sometimes you have to knock a bitch down. It’s all a part of the game. It’s tough, thrilling, compelling, dramatic. Theatre of NOTE’s For The Love Of (or, the roller derby play) finds the intensity of the sport in fits and spurts, but ultimately doesn’t spend enough time on the track.

Derby newcomer and former Olympic hopeful Joy (Cassandra Blair) arrives for her first practice with the Brooklyn Scallywags whereupon she meets her skating idol, Lizzie Lightning (Tania Verafield). Lizzie is tough as nails and takes what she wants, both on and off the track. Joy lives in Jersey with her long-time girlfriend Michelle (Elinor Gunn) and feels unsatisfied with her current situation. Having grown up in Brooklyn, Joy is anxious to return to her old stomping ground. She quickly befriends Lizzie and others on the team and inadvertently begins to discover her own identity as her relationship simultaneously deteriorates. She turns to Lizzie for friendship and comfort, which leads to mixed and confused romantic feelings. Ultimately, Joy finds a new trajectory for herself via her love of the sport and her dedication to her team.

Cassandra Blair finds a well measured performance as Joy Ride, the play’s protagonist in search of her own identity. Tania Verafield’s Lizzie Lighting is explosive and confrontational, but ultimately as hard and unmoved at the end of the play as she is in the first scene. Alina Phelan delivers a notable performance as Andrea the Vagiant, former skater and current Scallywags coach. Crystal Diaz is lovely as tenderhearted teammate Diaz De Los Muertos. Liesel Hanson is as endearing as she is tough as Squeaky Mouse.

Playwright Gina Femia uses the derby as a background for a variety of domestic drama. We never see how the team’s bond is formed, or how they communicate or depend upon one another. We never see them overcome a common foe or fight like hell for each other: we only hear about it in the locker room before or after the excitement of the game, which makes Joy’s self-discovery ultimately fall flat. Moreover, the minor characters’ backstories are briefly revealed and never revisited, although all are more compelling than the love triangle upon which the play is focused.

Director/Choreographer Rhonda Kohl captures the gritty, dance-like quality of the sport without putting the actors in skates. Choreographed roller derby jams serve as scene transitions; initially exciting, they lose steam as the play progresses. Set design by Eli Smith easily adapts to fit the play’s many locations and captures the cold, industrial feeling of a sports center. Lighting designer Rose Malone’s work is innovative and dramatic. Costume designer Vicki Conrad’s sexy design is badass beautiful. But sound designer Gillian “DeciBelle” Moon is the team’s real MVP, infusing the play with exciting, aggressive punk rock that creates a defiant, hard-hitting atmosphere.

For the Love Of (or, the roller derby play) makes this point clear: your true identity is revealed by how you play the game. Sometimes you’ll break a bone or lose a tooth. Shit happens. But you get up and keep playing. And if you’ve played the game right, your team will be there — cheering, encouraging, and supporting you, and picking you up when you fall. Now that’s love.

Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles; Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; through May 26th; (323) 856-8611 or theatreofnote.com.; Running time two hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.