From left to right, Ryan Kniel as Parker/Jessie and Christine Upright as Kennedy

Last weekend I had the chance to see this intriguing play by Bema Productions, performing at Congregation Emanu-el Synagogue on Blanshard at Pandora. The play is written by Caroline Russell-King, and is directed by Artistic Director of Bema, Zelda Dean. Russell-King is a prolific playwright, telling us in the program notes that this is her 31st play. Impressive! The set-up of this 90 minute one-act is simple; a young man in high school, Parker, is sent by his father to receive playwriting lessons from local playwright Kennedy. The fact that Parker has never even seen a play is Kennedy’s first task, as is his expressed interest in screenwriting over playwriting. She assigns him the job of seeing a play, and he returns after seeing Waiting for Godot at the university.

So far, so good. Kennedy persists and makes some slow progress in fostering an appreciation of the art of theatre in her student. But then things get a bit more interesting. We learn that Kennedy is also tutoring a young man in a rehab program. We also learn that this young man, Jessie, was with her son who died of a drug overdose, and that her son was the same age as Parker. The silent Jessie is hostile to her, writing crude things on the chart paper she provides. But she is undeterred, and keeps trying to break through to him. In the meantime, every visit from Parker, Kennedy pretends to be in a different part of the world. We begin in Paris, where she drinks absinthe. Then we go to New Orleans for bourbon, Russia for vodka and finally Japan for sake. It becomes clear to the audience that Kennedy drinks too much. She also schools Parker on the art of theatre, teaching him about pantomime, improvisation and dramatic dialogue. These sections of the play feel a bit school-like, to their detriment.

The play takes a more positive turn when the roles Parker and Kennedy play with each other begin to shift. Parker starts to challenge her, questioning the advice she’s given him, and then reveals that he knows about her son’s death. This shatters Kennedy, and she reveals the depths of her grief. I won’t say more, as there is a further twist in the plot that offers a genuine thrill to audiences, but suffice it to say that all is not as it appears to be.

Dean directs the two-hander with fluidity and pulls strong performances from both actors. Upright plays Kennedy as sure of herself, even a bit arrogant, until the facade falls and we see the vulnerable and grieving mother underneath. Kniel plays both roles with confidence and is an appealing presence onstage. Playwright Russell-King tells us that the theme of the play is “Wherever you run to, you always bring yourself.” Too true. Recommended. Runs until August 6th with tickets at https://bemaproductions.com.