Chalk Circle Collective has become a theater that pushes the envelope of what theater can produce—both in itself and in its audiences. Nowhere is that more apparent than in their current production of “The Strangers,” written by christopher oscar peña and directed by Coleman Ray Clark.
The story follows cris (Steven Lone) as he returns to a city he once knew. After a chance meeting with dave (Jake Bradford), the story becomes a series of questions to explore: Am I worthy of a relationship? Is a relationship worth it when the state of the world feels so bleak? And can a relationship survive the scrutiny of others?
The show features an ensemble of characters: diego (Javier David), niegel (Michael DiRoma), pearl (Michael Amira Temple), sarah (Lauren King Thompson), eleanor (Kelsey Venter), and emily (Kimberly Weinberger). The ensemble characters play their own vignettes of life, along with chris and dave’s story, throughout the first act. The stories all culminate into one during the second act, where the drama fully unfolds.
Standout performances in the show were Steven Lone as cris and Michael DiRoma as niegel. Lone really carried the show and gave it his all during the emotional opener for the second act. A special shoutout to DiRoma for his theatrical debut; a great performance that came off very naturally.
The set was designed by Nicholas Ponting to look like a mishmash of different items and different lives, mirroring the mishmash of stories we see in the first act. Additional members of the technical team include Jemima Dutra, costume designer; Sammy Webster, lighting designer; Steven Leffue, sound designer; and Chad Ryan, technical director. Webster’s lighting design was a highlight of the show, employing a myriad of objects, colors and more to bring the story to life.
Chalk Circle did a great job producing the show—everything felt well-paced and put together (despite some technical issues on opening night). The play itself is a little vague by design; some will get a lot from it, and some may not. The show is very much a drama that ends on a heavy, serious note.
One of the great facets of theater is the opportunity to challenge ourselves by consuming works of art that are unfamiliar, new or different to us. “The Strangers” is a unique story, and if you give it a chance, you might find something you’ve never seen before.
“The Strangers” runs until Nov. 30 at the Old Town Theatre.
(Please note: The playwright prefers his name and the names of his characters to be in all lowercase letters.)
(Photo credit: Karli Cadel)
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