CW: This show (and review) discusses violence, assault, sexual assault and abuse.
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |
Walking out of Mixed Blood Theatre last night, all I could say was HOT DAMN.
For anyone living under a rock, yesterday Dr. Christine Blasely Ford testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee about a past alleged assault from the next Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. It was a stirring, brave, emotional testimony that has rocked the country. Women were seen weeping on public transit, in lunch rooms, and all sorts of other public places; most of those who weren’t in tears (like me) were consumed with a passionate rage. Suffice it to say: yesterday was a very, very rough day for a lot of us.
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |
So the headspace I was in when I entered Mixed Blood Theatre to see Is God Is was not exactly a peaceful one. I’d heard a lot of vague but intriguing things about the show – it’s horrific but funny? – and wasn’t sure what I was in for. By the end, I knew what it was. In a word? Mayhem. I was in for mayhem.
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |
I am trying to tread cautiously about describing Is God Is because the plot twists are so important to the story. I don’t want to give it away and ruin all the fun of seeing the show yourself (which you definitely should do). The most succinct description I can give is this: imagine if Kill Bill was written by a black woman, starred only black people, and had a little bit of Breaking Bad‘s Saul Goodman character thrown in for good measure. It’s a quirky, singular experience that has all sorts of campy American film hallmarks – road trips, sister journeys, broken families, vengeance, bloodshed – in a darkly funny (think like, Coen Brothers funny, not ha ha funny) package. It manages at the same time to also discuss some deeply serious issues, many of which are all too common in the #metoo movement we’re striding through.
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |
Like watching a Tarantino film or reading a Victorian novel, it took me a solid 15 minutes to adjust to what I was seeing. When I say this show is singular, I mean it: the language, the quirks of the performances, the stark visuals, and more all combine to be totally unlike anything else I’ve seen on stage. I’m not usually great with violent content, but something about the explicitly performative violence of Is God Is worked for me and kept me intrigued. Maybe it was that unfettered rage after the Kavanaugh hearing; maybe it was the slow burn of #metoo stories that have been building up for the last year; maybe it was just the lived experience of being a woman in a world that seems to struggle to respect my humanity. I really don’t know, but what I can say is: something about Is God Is is extraordinarily satisfying to watch. These characters do bad things, and their outcomes aren’t good – but they do them for understandable reasons, and something about watching a pair of black women physically beat out their latent anger was wholly satisfying, especially last night.
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |
These are some heavy hitters on stage, and without them this show would be much harder to watch. Dame-Jasmine Hughes and Chaz Hodges star as the twin sisters Racine and Anaia, respectively. Is God Is is their journey, and Hughes and Hodges nail the complicated script through nuanced performances. Hughes is terrific as always, with an explosively physical performance that is honestly a little terrifying. Hodges has a slow burn into her role, and you really won’t see the end coming behind her meek persona. Joy Dolo is utterly unrecognizable as She. I have to leave it at that, but her performance is chilling. Kevin West brings a Saul Goodman vibe as the crooked lawyer Chuck Hall; his imitation of drunkenness is masterful, and I found him one of the funnier performers. Jacob Gibson and Kory Pullam are well paired as brothers Scotch and Riley, respectively. Gibson is new to me and I’m excited to learn more about him; Pullam is surprising, comedic and even a little charming as the nerdy Riley. Jessica Rosilyn is awesome as Angie, with a Reese Witherspoon quality that I really enjoyed; she’d be right at home on Big Little Lies. And Kirkaldy Myers is the one I didn’t see coming (literally) as Man, with a sinister entrance that will blow your hair back (I couldn’t help it and audibly exclaimed).
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |
The set design looks at first glance like a sheer white wall and projections, but is used ingeniously throughout the show to reveal many layers of setting. Christopher Heilman got so creative with his design, and I keep running it over in my mind and finding new things to enjoy about it. Trevor Bowen gives every performer a distinctive personality through his costume design that will clue you in to their meaning. Mixed Blood always has great effects in their shows, which continues to be true here through the absolutely striking tech direction from Bethany Reinfeld; lighting design by Mary Shabatura; sound design by Phillip O’Toole; and fight choreography and effects by Bruce Young. Finally, Tessie Bundick’s makeup design is intrinsic to the story (which you’ll learn more about when you go). I wish we got a chance to see the detail closer up.
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |
Is God Is is such an unparalleled experience, and it couldn’t be better timed. Between the ongoing #metoo and #timesup movements and the arrival of Halloween season, it hits all sorts of sweet spots between horror, vengeance, women-centric and escapist stories. This is not the kind of show I’m in the habit of watching or recommending, but I gotta say: Is God Is swept me up with its manic energy and gave me a lot more to chew on than I ever expected. It’s a wild experience to have live in the theater, and the incredible cast really pushes this performance over the edge. I recommend this very highly, especially to anyone who is feeling the need to vent some rage over recent political events. Please keep in mind, however: this is very definitely NOT a show for children. Make this one an adults-only date night. Is God Is runs at the Mixed Blood through October 14. For more information or to find your tickets, click on this link.
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| Photo by Rich Ryan |