RIBBON OF LIFE by Steve Julian
The final staged reading of Steve Julian’s RIBBON OF LIFE
at Acting Artists Theatre for the Hollywood Fringe Festival exposes secular and
religious ideologies; bigotry and prejudice; beginning and ending of life
issues; the plight and the joy of being transgendered and tattoos .
Twenty five year old Savannah (Abigail
Marks) lives at home with her parents Maggie (Elizabeth Dennehy, a ringer for
Glenn Close) and her husband,
Savannah’s father Simon (Christopher Murray). Maggie, at the age of 55 is experiencing subtle and not so
subtle memory loss. Simon, now a
businessman, after serving as a Catholic priest for ten years; brings his
religion directly into his now secular life. Toss into the mix a very hip and happening Grannie: Maggie’s
mother, Jenny (lovely Gwen Van Dam), who lives with the family. Sharp as a tack, Jenny sees the end of
life as an opportunity and has a strong desire to commit suicide on her 80th
birthday.
Julian’s clever dialogue
and strong characters bring up issues that most of us must face sooner or later,
with the exception of the prospect of having your daughter announce that not
only is she moving out of the house, but is in love with Esmae (excellent
Premstar Santana) formerly known as Preston.
The excellent cast transcends the issue of carrying books in
hand to create genuine passion on several fronts. All packed into a single two act play, we encounter not only the
issues of the family in question, but these very issues in our own lives. Simon reveals the reason
that he left the priesthood and started his family. Savannah and Esmae shock both
parents with the announcement that they are a couple, but Simon’s reaction becomes an extraordinary rejection of Esmae
because of his own frightened bigotry regarding Esmae’s being a transgender
woman. Figuring out who does what
and to whom is important to Simon. His prejudice explodes after he researches
the issues of transgender on the internet. With limited exposure and deep
rooted issues founded in his Catholic faith along with a knee jerk reaction to
how any daughter of his could be in love with another ‘woman?’ the shit hits
the fan. However, we are certainly convinced that Esmae really IS a woman in almost every way.
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| Premstar Santana as Esmae Photo by Rich Clark |
Meanwhile, Maggie is beset with concern regarding her own
issues that include pregnancy at the age of 55 and a very well thought out
dialogue by Julian regarding whether or not she will terminate her pregnancy.
It seems to be a miracle in that Simon has been ‘fixed!’ and she is just beginning her bout with menopause.
Not fully developed is Jenny’s very forthright declaration
that she fully intends to end her life for many sound reasons. Should Ribbon of Life find a venue and
mount a full production, it seems that working on the grandmother’s character would be a good idea. Her arc really should be expanded. Jenny
is wise and tolerant, qualities that seem to escape the parents, at least for a
while. Time heals.
The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an opportunity for the Los Angeles
theatre community to come together and try things. Julian’s play is a grand effort that works, even with scripts in
hand. These are well developed and dedicated performances. The polemic takes a scattergun approach to tough issues that
are rising to the surface daily in American society. Things are no longer black and white with family decisions
and gender issues as they were fifty years ago. This weekend marked the 45th anniversary of the
Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Though the love affair between Savannah
and Esmae straddles a gray area that may or may not have much to do with a
Gay Life Style, certainly, it should be considered. The fact is
that 21st century people, “Millennials” if you will, are making
decisions and choosing life styles that older generations may have a difficult
time accepting, let alone even finding acceptable definitions for. These two young women are smart,
educated, tattooed and dedicated to the ‘person’ that each finds in the
other.
We learn new words in the context of the play and some
surgical procedures that may make some folks squirm a bit. However, drop dead gorgeous Santana’s
portrayal of Esmae transcends stereotypical depictions of male to female
transgenders. Instead of being
portrayed as defensive or apologetic for her condition, Julian presents her as
strong, intelligent and fully aware. We
are led to stop worrying about genitals and get a lesson in humanity that makes
sense… eventually, even to Simon.
I encourage playwright Julian to shop this project to local
theatre companies where it may be fully realized. It’s all exposition, so finding some physical business to
bolster the story might be interesting.
Director Alexis Jacknow has taken difficult material and with well cast
actors has created, even with books in hand, a story worth further
exploration. Julian has done his
homework and this ensemble piece hits the bulls eye in showcasing his writing
and the excellent talent of his cast.
RIBBON OF LIFE by Steve Julian
Hollywood Fringe Festival
Closed June 29, 2014
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