USC production showcases students in controversial show
Promoted as a show about homeless youth — whose stories model those of Greek gods and goddesses — “Polaroid Stories” was set to be a controversial show, full of graphic situations and a profuse amount of swearing.
The set is designed to look like a run-down alley somewhere in New York City, where young, homeless addicts come to live. The show begins with one of the main characters, D (Dionysus), played by Andy Hernandez, giving a speech about a boy he used to know — “Speedracer.” He briefly introduces the concept of how the boy he used to know loved getting high and being on a high. He finishes his monologue and then exits the stage.
The show has 10 cast members, each playing a young addict whose story resembles that of a specific Greek god or goddess. The characters often reference being a god or tell stories of the gods at some point during the play, showing how that story represents his or her life, but other than that, the Greek mythology story line is pretty difficult to follow without prior knowledge of the stories.
The play itself is told in a spoken word, almost poetic rock concert. Modern rock, heavy metal, punk and rap music play a heavy role throughout the show, almost present at every key scene. While this is a fantastic, edgy way to put on a show, the story line lost some of its meaning along the way.
The show disappoints in its ending. Obviously no one is really going to live happily ever after in a production like this, but there are some loose ends I wanted tied up. We hardly learn anything about the character Echo, played by theatre graduate student Catherine Friesen, with her character leaving the show poorly executed — really a waste of writing. I want to know if Persephone (Semele), played by theatre graduate student Jessi Noel, continues to live in the alley, offering places to stay for those who were lost, or if she decides to move on. And I desperately want to know what happened to Eurydice, played by theatre graduate student Amanda Forstrom, after she kills the man who truly loves her. Does she move on? Does she get herself out of the life she was in?
However, the level of acting ability that the eight graduate students and two undergraduates demonstrate is phenomenal. Each of the characters establish an emotional connection, and although each doesn’t have a completely telling backstory or narrative, I could still empathize with them and root for them along the way.
Playwright Naomi Iizuka did a great job with developing strong characters, with the exception of Echo and possibly Philomel, played by second-year theatre student Caroline Wilson. Director Steven Pearson does a wonderful job of making sure each character’s personality is clear and that their struggles are evident to the audience.
It is wonderfully acted, though the plot does leave behind a lot of questions. Catch up on your Greek mythology — or just completely forget about that aspect of the play — and “Polaroid Stories” will impress with its eloquently acted, sometimes racy tale.
“Polaroid Stories” runs through Saturday. Shows are at 8 p.m. tonight and 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are between $10 and $16. There is a half-price discount for the 11 p.m. show on Saturday.