Smile

Reviewed by Taylor Kass
IAMA Theatre Company
Through December 5

As a woman, there are few things more infuriating than a man telling you to smile. In IAMA Theatre Company’s world premiere production of Melissa Jane Osborne’s new play Smile, a 17-year-old girl finally fights back against this manifestation of casual misogyny. Rachel (Isabella Feliciana) is content to blend in at school and focus on getting into college, until two classmates cross the line. Her retaliation leaves both boys injured and Rachel in huge trouble. Guidance counselor Helen (Andria Kozica) is deeply affected by the incident and decides to dedicate herself to helping Rachel — even as boundaries are crossed, grief is buried, and her marriage suffers. Although bolstered by excellent performances and directly cleanly by Michelle Bossy, Smile loses steam as it strays away from its central conflict.

Feliciana is charming, intelligent, and utterly watchable as Rachel, despite the script being somewhat elusive with Rachel’s innermost thoughts. After the first post-incident scene in Helen’s office, we rarely get a glimpse into how Rachel feels about what happened to her and the consequences of her actions. The story of what actually occurred in the hallway that day is glossed over, leaving the plot meandering and vague. Instead, Smile focuses much more intensely on Helen’s emotional journey. Reeling from the loss of her child, Helen pushes away her ever-patient husband Matt (a very funny and endearing John Lavelle) as she becomes more and more fixated on Rachel.

Smile is set in 1992, the historic Year of the Woman when female senators were elected in unprecedented numbers. But aside from some fresh and eye-catching projection design by Sean Cawelti, the time period isn’t an integral part of the story. Smile lands somewhere between a feminist piece and a psychological thriller – the most engaging moments are not at all about the inciting misogynistic incident, but rather about the complicated relationship between its two leading women.

IAMA Theatre Company at the Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave, Atwater; Fri., Sat., Mon., 8 p.m.; Sun. 3 p.m.; through Dec. 5 (dark November 25). https://iamatheatre.com or 323-380-8843. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.