IAMA and Boston Court present the world premiere of The Body’s Midnight. Written by Tira Palmquist. Directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Produced by Quinn O’Connor and Katharine Means.
Anne (Keliher Walsh) is taking a road trip with her husband David (Jonathan Nichols–Navarro) to experience the wonders of America’s landscapes. Their final destination is St. Paul, Minnesota, where their daughter Katie (Sonal Shah, Celestial Events, Untitled Baby Play) and son-in-law Wolf (Ryan W. Garcia, Celestial Events) are expecting their first baby.
The road trip becomes a transition between their apparent normal life and their new reality after Anne’s diagnosis (from the plaque in the brain scans, it seems to be dementia and/or Alzheimer’s). Anne refuses to tell Katie about her diagnosis, but David thinks differently. Anne’s life is about to change radically. What will she do? What will they do?
Playwright Tira Palmquist uses characteristics of magical realism to tell the story and to convey the transition from the conscious experience of a healthy brain to the surreal space of a damaged brain. A recurrent element to show Anne’s cognitive decline is her inability to remember words. Palmquist includes peculiar characters during the road trip to encourage Anne and prepare her for what’s coming. The motivation to take the trip is to admire America’s iconic parks before they’re gone. For Anne and David, it is also a trip to cherish their relationship before Anne’s memory is gone.
To capture the majesty of the landscape, Director Jessica Kubzansky utilizes video projections and a naturalistic set design with green and yellow tones. To express the brain and memories, she uses blues and purples, colors that usually convey a sense of serenity, introspection, and higher consciousness.
The exposition of the characters contains light comedy and seems to show a rather normal life. Scene after scene, however, the story starts to take a different turn. That’s when the audience begins to feel for the characters. Anne faces the scare of the diagnosis and frustration settles in as her condition worsens over time. David values the time he spends with his wife, but is aware of the dreadful time when Anne won’t be able to remember her loved ones anymore.
Palmquist links the themes of the play poetically. Nature, despite its ancient glory, seems temporary, just like the human brain and its memories. The sunset of a person’s existence is followed by the sunrise of a new one, renewing the perennial cycle of life.
The Body’s Midnight
Boston Court Pasadena
70 N Mentor Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91106
Performances: April 27-May 26
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: May 23 ONLY
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 3; May 10; May 17; May 24
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 27 (opening); May 4; May 11; May 18; May 25
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: May 5; May 12; May 19; May 26
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: May 6 and May 20 ONLY
Tickets: bostoncourtpasadena.org
Written by Tira Palmquist. Directed by Jessica Kubzansky. The IAMA team includes season producer Quinn O’Connor and co-producer Katharine Means.
Starring Ryan W. Garcia, Jonathan Nichols-Navarro, Sonal Shah, Keliher Walsh
Presented by IAMA Theatre Company, Stefanie Black, artistic director and Boston Court Pasadena, Jessica Kubzansky, artistic director.
Creative team: Scenic designer Nicholas Ponting; lighting designer Benedict Conran; sound designer John Zalewski; video and projections designer David Murakami and associate projections designer Sam Clevenger; costume designer Mylette Nora; properties designer Cindy Campos; intimacy director Carly DW Bones; and dramaturg Adrian Centeno. IAMA ensemble member Anisha Adusumilli is associate director. Jasmine Kalra is the production manager, Jesse Soto is the technical director and Jasmine Leung is the production stage manager.
