Still
Reviewed by Vanessa Cate
Actors Company (Hollywood Fringe)
Through June 24th
A girl goes to a party. She likes the way she’s dressed, she feels pretty. She lets her guard down and has some drinks. And when the morning comes, more than one life has been devastated.
Still is staged simply: the main set piece is a captivating glass box filled with a small amount of water, which acts as a sanctuary for the girl in question (Jazzara Jaslyn). The glass is underlit, providing almost the only light to a very dark play, while the gentle sound of water provides the soundtrack.
The other half of the stage is nearly bare (except for a bench and only a few props). Here, a young man and a young woman (Nelson Menell and Laura Lee Mostert, respectively) try to come to terms with the lingering horror of what happened that night.
Writer/director Olivia Fischer has conceived a gentle approach to the subject of rape. Inspired by her own personal experience, Fischer led her actors in a process of improvisation to fully flesh out the script, making the piece at least partially devised. The acting and directing style are incredibly naturalistic, which serves nicely amid such a delicate stage atmosphere.
Although this small company comes from Cape Town, Africa, the subject matter could not be timelIier here in the States. It’s a piece of universal importance.
Depictions and descriptions are never graphic, but a trigger warning is still issued for the obviously upsetting and collectively prescient subject matter.
Actors Company (Let Live Theater), 916 N. Formosa Ave., Hollywood; through June 24th; https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/4857; Running time: Less than one hour, no intermission.
