The Secret Life of Girls has garnered well-deserved
attention, and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte presents a thoughtful,
stage-worthy production of the play.
The story revolves around a group of middle school girls. It
begins innocently enough when Abby (Chloé Aktas) invites the girls to her
birthday party. They giggle, compliment the gifts, and eat pizza. One girl,
Kayla (Kali Hackett), spends the night. This irritates Stephanie (Kristyn Callaway),
leader of the group, especially when she finds out that Abby wants to join the
volleyball team. They won the championship last season, and she thinks Abby
will cause the team to lose if she’s allowed to join. At least, that’s what she
says is the reason as she begins to ostracize Abby (with the others falling
into place). Abby is at a loss as to what she could have done to anger her
friends.
The insidious nature of gossip and bullying is shown clearly
as each of the other girls, including Anna Marie (Lauren Berg), Rebecca
(Adriana Jerez), and Sutton (Sarah Slusarick), take their turn being the object
of scorn led by the vindictive Stephanie. The adults, Sutton’s Mom/Coach (Donna
Scott), and Abby’s Mom (Rebecca Koon) are either clueless or are at a loss as
how to help.
The structure of the play, by necessity, is episodic as it
needs to show the passage of time. The set is spare and the mostly bare stage
is used effectively. There are three video screens where projections appear
frequently. The technical expertise of the video design by Jay Thomas is solid.
And although the videos provide visual interest and some much needed comic
relief, it is over-used at times. For instance, when the characters are
emailing to others, the actors read the emails, but the projected emails lag
behind. We all know what emails look like. Anything in a play that slows the
forward progress of the action, or distances the audience, is questionable.
Video is a great tool onstage, but its use needs to be judicious.
Having said that, Nicia Carla is talented director who
clearly has a good rapport with her actors. The adult actors do well, but this
is the ensemble of young actors’ play, and the director gets credit for
creating an atmosphere where they feel safe to make choices that work even when
their characters are unlikable. Each character is distinct and not difficult to
differentiate. They are all very good in their roles, but Chloé Aktas as Abby
and Kristyn Callaway as Stephanie anchor the play and help give their characters
subtext and depth.
After the performance Ms. Carla had the audience rate the
characters from “good to bad” opening up a much needed follow-up discussion led
by Jeanine Davis (WPEG-FM Power 98 radio) from an organization called Girl Talk
Foundation, Inc., about the play and the characters. This is particularly
helpful since the play raises so many areas of concern for the audience of
girls. Their
comments were alternately funny, insightful, and poignant.
Adults know that gossip and bullying are facts
of life, but for girls, especially the idealistic ones, reality can be a let
down. Many don’t have the inner resources yet to know how to deal with an ugly
side of human nature, believing it’s their fault. Being a mother to children of
both genders, though, I know girls have a more complex road to navigate. The
worrisome thing about gossip, rumors and lies is that there is no way to
counteract it. The important thing, though, and why this play is a good
beginning for discussion, is that we all have choices about who we want to be
in the world. I’ve never heard of anyone saying on their deathbed they wished
they had gossiped more. If there’s regret, it’s that they weren’t kinder. Our
girls don’t just need to know how to get through today. We need to help them see
other perspectives on finding their way to a healthy, self-respecting
adulthood.
Ann Marie Oliva
Producer/Editor – www.artsalamode.com
Performed March 27 - April 5, 2009.
Photos by Donna Bise
~ Cast ~
Abby: Chloé
Aktas
Stephanie: Kristyn
Callaway
Rebecca: Adriana
Jerez
Kayla: Kali
Hackett
Sutton: Sarah
Slusarick
Anna Marie: Lauren
Berg
Chandler: Darien
Talley
Sutton’s Mom/Coach: Donna
Scott
Abby’s Mom: Rebecca
Koon
PRODUCTION STAFF
Director: Nicia Carla
Scenic Designer: Andrew
Gibbon
Costume Designer: Laree
Lentz
Video Projection Design: Jay
Thomas
Properties Designer: Peter
Smeal
Sound Designer: Van
Coble, Jr.
Lighting Designer: Trista
Rothe
Production Stage Manager: Brenda
Arko
Stage Manager: Melissa
Robinson
Production Manager: Andy
Brown
Technical Director: Jeff
Weeks
Costume Shop Manager
Amy Akerblom Holroyd
Literary Manager
Lucy Hazlehurst
Master Carpenter
Andrew Gibbon
Scenic Artist
Tim Parati
Master Electrician
Hallie Gray
Audio Engineer
Paul Setzer
Costume First Hand
Marina Arconti
House Carpenter
Jeremy Holroyd
Carpenters
John Slechta, Justin Dashinell
Electricians
Paul Setzer, Barbara Berry
Wardrobe Supervisor
Kehlee Walsh
Hair Stylist
Barbi VanSchaick
Production Interns
Kate Bulla, Robyn Smith
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