{"id":251634,"date":"2017-05-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/a-dreamy-production\/"},"modified":"2017-05-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T07:00:00","slug":"a-dreamy-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/a-dreamy-production\/","title":{"rendered":"A dreamy production"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlene Baldridge | Theater Review<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThe flying felt like God loved me,\u201d Zoe says in Georgette Kelly\u2019s \u201cBallast.\u201d The unique play, directed in its world premiere by Diversionary Theater Executive Artistic Director Matt M. Morrow, is acted upon Ron Logan\u2019s set, quite likely the most beautiful set ever created for this theater.<\/p>\n

Lovers of beauty, poetry and whimsy must see the work before it closes June 4.<\/p>\n

\"A
“Ballast” takes on the challenges of gender identity. (Courtesy of Diversionary Theatre)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBallast\u201d is unique in its construction, for it draws upon the dreams of its four principal characters. The dreams, scenes and dialogue spew forth as if one took their individual mid-night odysseys and randomly mixed them up, the fragments eventually coalescing into a poignant whole, rife with unrequited longing. Particularly in the case of the married Grace (attractive redhead Dana Aliya Levinson) and Zoe (beloved San Diego actor Jacque Wilke), each wants what the other cannot give, namely to return the marriage to the way it started out.<\/p>\n

Originally theirs was a marriage between a woman, Zoe, and a man, now Grace, who was and still is a Protestant minister, at least until her denomination makes a ruling. Now that he has transitioned into a woman, continuing as clergy is uncertain for Grace, and try as she might the loving and supportive Zoe \u2014 who says, \u201cMy one is two now\u201d \u2014 can\u2019t help feeling that the man she loved is gone forever.<\/p>\n

\"A
“Ballast” plays through June 1 at Diversionary Theatre.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The other couple comprises Xavier (Maxton Miles Baeza) and Savannah (Jennifer Paredes). They have known each other since kindergarten, so know each other extremely well. They purport to be 21 but in actuality they are only 15. Xavier, born a girl, identifies as a young man, something that concerns his mother Savannah a great deal. She accepts Xavier as he is, and wants only his love.<\/p>\n

Dana Case and Skyler Sullivan portray all the people in both couples\u2019 lives; among them Zoe\u2019s flying instructor, Grace\u2019s bishop and Xavier\u2019s mother. Both are extremely effective and seem to have a blast doing multiple characters. When Grace takes in the runaway Xavier, some of the play\u2019s funniest and most cohesive scenes occur. But mostly, it\u2019s all glorious flying towards an upliftingly poetic conclusion.\"A<\/p>\n

Logan\u2019s lovely set, as befits flying, is blue. The simplest of elements contribute to the astonishingly beautiful effect, a maypole of ropes played upon effectively by Sherrice Mojgani\u2019s lighting and several draped shapes center stage that morph into everything else. Elisa Benzoni creates imaginative costumes and Emily Janowski is the sound designer, a veritable whoosh queen of the cosmos.<\/p>\n

Under Morrow\u2019s leadership, Diversionary is on an upward trajectory where productions just get better and better. The transgender subject matter in \u201cBallast\u201d is just one example of how timely and cutting-edge theater can be. Playwright Kelly, who operates in both Chicago and New York, is definitely one to watch.<\/p>\n

\u2014Charlene Baldridge has been writing about the arts since 1979. Follow her blog at charlenecriticism.blogspot.com<\/a> o llegar a ella en <\/em>charb81@gmail.com<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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