Onstage Playhouse Presents San Diego Premiere of "Gloria"

 A Play that Truly Illustrates How Suffocating Corporate/Office Life Can Be 

A Blog View by Alejandra Enciso-Dardashti

Holly Stephenson,  Geoffrey Ulysses Geissinger. Photo by Daren Scott

As I was sitting, waiting for the show to start, I kept thinking "Branden Jacobs-Jenkins"... "Branden Jacobs-Jenkins" it sounded so familiar. Mind you, I see so many plays a year all over, in English and Spanish that my brain barely makes it each day. But this familiarity came from a place of "I have seen this playwright's work before". It is like when you cannot remember a word and it is at the tip of your tongue. And no, this does not come from this year's Tony Awards and Jacobs-Jenkins winning for Appropriate. It was not that. I came here to the blog and did a little sercharoo and boom! I found the answer. San Diego's distant cousin, Los Angeles, had produced a couple of Branden's plays these past years, Everybody in 2022 and An Octoroon in 2021. How could I forget? Both the theatre and I got so much heat for the play and review... add one more story to the "for another day" pile...

Gloria is a San Diego premiere and the third play of Onstage Playhouse's 40th season; one that came bold and raw with its stories. I have perceived a crescendo in the narrative and Gloria is right there. The story starts at a New York magazine headquarters with editorial assistants in their mid to late twenties. That could be the dream right? New York, pop culture, not being 30. Ani (Kimmy Weinberger) is prompt and early at the office wondering -but not really- where her co-workers are. In walks Dean (Geoffrey Ulysses Geissinger) late and hungover from Gloria's (another associate played by Holly Stephenson) housewarming party the night before. Dean is stressed and has to change meetings due to his boss Nan (also played by Stephenson) traveling to Europe for a book fair. Mouthy, over-caffeinated Kendra (Katrina Heil) comes in a bit after Dean making heavy jokes and running her mouth per usual. They all chat about how no one at the office, except Dean, went to Gloria's party because she is weird. Miles the intern (Imahni King) is in the same room with everyone but has his headphones in and it is his last day. The others send him on snack and vitamin water runs while assuming he is not listening because, his headphones. Who hears everything to the T is the fact checker Lorin (Chris Tenny) in the next office demanding they quiet down and get to work. After Gloria has thanked Dean for going to her party she comes in again and the office gets deadly quiet. 

Months later Dean and Kendra meet again and there is a heated conversation. Dean also encounters his former boss and Lorin is now in Los Angeles temping in a studio where he realizes that what was a traumatizing experience for him, was flipped into lucrative opportunities for others. 

Geoffrey Ulysses Geissinger, Imahni King, Katrina Heil. Photo by Daren Scott

A well-written 95-minute piece that takes its time and gives everything right before the 15-minute intermission to reboot for the second act. Each scene is accentuated by Jason Chody's lighting design nailing that bright, yellow office light that makes everybody miserable along with a softer, warm light that brings happiness, more so in a coffee shop. Sound is key and Jaden Guerrero's design imprinted reality in the moments.

Jacobs-Jenkins truly illustrates how suffocating corporate/office life can be along with its culture. Fake and empty promises, time going by in the mouse wheel, aspirations met, dreams re-directed or broken. Gloria opens the window to "American corporate life", yet, corporate culture is practically the same everywhere really. What could be viewed as "American", is Gloria's way of resolving things (punctually soundtracked by Guerrero with a Childish Gambino song). And I will not give away them' spoilers because it is not my style and when it is because I get excited, others scold me on social media lol...

Onstage Artistic Director James Darvas directs the piece and sets this paced timing with its pertaining punches in Javier Guerrero's beautiful, realistic set design with its three settings: office, coffee shop, and studio. The design is colorful, with a slight relief adorned by posters courtesy of Vic Terry, which suited the spot and made the scenes pop. Teri Brown's costume design was detailed and fashionable having cute and youthful office attire pieces as well as more suiting ones for the studio. 

There is a potted plant that gets in the way and her placement should be reconsidered as it became distracting.

Holly Stephenson and Kimberly Weinberger. Photo by Daren Scott

Enjoying a good piece of theatre comes from different fronts and seeing actors grow into their histrionic own is part of that enjoyment. I see Ani, Dean, Kendra, and Lorin in the co-workers I've had. Geoffrey Ulysses Geissinger's Dean has intention and heart embodying those professional frustrations that inevitably turn personal. Kimmy Weinberger delivered three different roles in a little over an hour, giving the audience layers, personality, and attitude. Katrina Heil's Onstage debut came in energetically strong and she enunciated her wordy lines clearly with the right intonation. However, I consider the performance would benefit by giving it more air and less speed. Holly Stephenson framed her comeback with a solid contrasting duo in Gloria and Nan. As I saw my coworkers, I saw myself in Lorin with again, the professional frustrations, the feeling that time is running out and just trying to find the balance in life that Chris Tenny gets across. Imahni King also in his Onstage debut, is literally the calm before the storm with a soft voice and clear dialogue. 

Regardless of a "fourth wall" for a performance to go smoothly, there has to be a rapport that flows between the stage and the audience and Gloria accomplished that. It is the roundest production of Onstage this year.

Currently playing until August 4th. For performance times, days, and ticket prices, click here.