The Piece Exposes the Urgency and Sensitivity of this Issue that Besets Not Only the County, but the United States as a Whole
A Blog View by Alejandra Enciso-Dardashti
 |
| Another Day in Paradise. Photo courtesy Blindspot Collective |
Blindspot continues to put important conversations on the table through its work and with its latest production Another Day in Paradise, the light is shined on the unhoused community in San Diego, basing the world-premiere documentary musical on over 100 interviews done with people both in and outside of housing facilities. Written and edited by Shellina Hefner and Blake McCarty from research conducted by Abi Hood, Hannah Frederick, Shellina Hefner, and Blake McCarty.
Conducting an interview is difficult, especially with a subject matter as sensitive as this and a community that is constantly frowned upon and considered a liability. Blindspot with these interviews showed their perspective and some of the reasons for their situation. The almost two-hour piece takes place in what resembles an encampment with wire fences and clothes along with other articles hanging. A design by Kyle Waterman that is realistic and sets a good frame for the context and narrative. The cast featuring, Jasper Capalad, Cole Chinn, Josalyn Elisabeth, Tash Gomez, Josiah Lopez, Aiden Meyndert, Nathan Nonhof, Velvet Teresa Salgado, and Dacara Seward give voice to these stories that go from a Filipino woman who immigrated to The States, had her family, to losing her husband and becoming homeless, to a transgender woman who does sex work and remains in high spirits no matter what. There are veterans, fathers, former addicts, and people with master's degrees.
Hannah Frederick's costume design rounds out the illustration of the interviews. I do wonder if the design was inspired by what each person wore during the interviews? Could be. Frederick brought a frame that looked authentic versus "theatrical" or "cartoony" which matched the raw energy of the piece.
 |
| Another Day in Paradise. Photo courtesy Blindspot Collective |
The stories also show missing pieces in the bureaucratic puzzle and how broken the system is with some programs geared toward supporting ailing communities. The abuse of power and the vulnerability that comes with it, especially with women.
Directed by Blake McCarty, the choice to have the format be a musical versus a straight play is innovative and complex, as the songs and the interviews go in parallel to fully tell the story. The songs, with music and lyrics by Taylor Lehmkuhl, are melodic and catchy, with the added value of musicians playing live: Steve Jilka on bass, Mike Reyes and Julian Straus on guitar, and Chris Reyes on drums. Cole Atencio's sound design had a balance between the sung pieces and the spoken interviews.
Each story definitely evokes different feelings ranging from sadness to anger, and plain shock. It is easy to perceive the amount of work and time it took to conduct, compile, transcribe, and adapt. Yet, some of the interviews were left vague wondering what had happened to the person or where they stood, unlike others that had a beginning and an end. Rounding out those pieces so they match the rest would tighten the piece as well as the length. I mentioned in the Zero's review for LATC's Encuentro, that theatre is so much more than just performance and lights. It is also a tool for memory, registry, and protest. What Blindspot is doing with Another Day in Paradise, is balancing the image of the unhoused by showing the human aspect that media outlets, representatives, and healthcare have neglected.
The musical is performing at the Coronado Playhouse until November 24. The company is also receiving monetary donations as well as canned food, new or gently used blankets, and backpacks for care packages. Many of us ask "How can we help?", "what can I do?", well, here is one answer.
For more information click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment