Maria Kress, Joe J Garcia, Ashley Hsu, James Lemire, and Mo LeBlanc (Photo by Kie Sample)
Reviewed by Julia Stier
Art Crush LA
Through September 27
Anastasia Rutkowski and James Lemire (Photo by Kie Sample)
“I was married to him. I should have known.”
In From the Perspective of a Canoe —Amy Dellagrino’s new play directed by Brooklyn Sample for Art Crush LA, the big question being unpacked is: Who is to blame for tragedy?
It’s the Fourth of July. The banners are hung, the lemonade is cold, and a family awaits the arrival of their neighbors so that the party can begin. There’s only one thing out of place: Tess (Elizabeth Williams), the oldest of the family’s adult children, refuses to get out of their family’s canoe, which sits propped on cinderblocks, stored in the backyard.
While Tess bickers with her family — which includes her brother Rueben (James Lemire) the youngest sibling; his wife Cindy (Anastasia Rutowski) whom Tess has never gotten along with; her sister Jordon (Mo LeBlanc), whose dry wit belies a deep fear of being alone; her mother, Mary Lynn (Maria Kress) whose willful ignorance of the dark cloud hanging over her family has forced her into a state of manic party planning; and her father, Frank (Joe J Garcia), the only one giving Tess the space she needs — we learn the dark truth. The town is reeling from a recent tragedy. One of their own community members walked into a grocery store and opened fire – killing 12 innocents before offing himself. And the shooter? Well, he was Tess’s husband.
This play takes a unique perspective on what seems to be a uniquely American issue – mass shootings – by focusing on the aftermath. While Tess was not the one holding the gun, she cannot help but shoulder the blame and guilt for her husband’s actions.
While this is Tess’s story, her parents are the heart of the show. When an “outsider” shows up to the party Winnifred (Ashley Hsu) a new college-aged neighbor and friend of Frank and Mary Lynn — we get to see just how desperate Mary Lynn is for a moment of normalcy amidst the chaos. Joe J Garcia as Frank is the dad any of us would want to have in our moments of darkness. He meets Tess where she is, offering comfort, kind words, and an understanding of her needing to remain in her literal comfort zone, the canoe.
Lemire, LeBlanc, and Williams have fantastic chemistry as siblings, with a long track record of trading barbs and needling each other. Their easy banter and shared history play out with ease, and result in a sort of shared family language that they employ to leave Cindy and Winnifred out. Hsu brings a wonderful innocence to Winnifred that highlights her as the odd man out, while Rutowski nails the exasperation one feels when having to put up with less than savory in-laws.
One small addition that could help the audience – as well as Tess’s family – understand her resistance to leaving the canoe is, well, why? What is it about this particular vessel that makes Tess feel safe and shielded from the world? Was it her favorite place to hide as a child, or is a canoe simply a weird enough spot that she thinks the reporters won’t think to look for her there? While grief can make us do weird or unconventional things, I was craving a bit more understanding of Tess’s method of comfort and her internal turmoil.
Art Crush LA, 35 E. Villa St., Pasadena. Sat.-Sun., 6 pm; thru Sept. 26. https://www.artcrush.la. Runtime: 90 minutes with no intermission.
