HERE COMES THE NIGHT - The Zephyr Theatre

Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck

Is it a science or the experience; but when the universe brings two people together to create new realities, life changing things happen and usually both parties benefit from it and there are many other lives involved.  We make choices every minute of our existence, which mold the next phase of our lives.

Olivia (Madelynn Fattibene) invites her old friend Maggie (Erika Soto), to help her with an at-home medical abortion over the weekend, while her alcoholic musician husband is away playing a gig. As we know, life throws unexpected surprises at us now and then. Even though we think that things that happen to other people would never happen to us, when that reality hits us we experience mood swings, fear and tension.  Olivia has been trying very hard all her life not to get pregnant, but at the moment when she decides to distance herself from her husband, because they grew apart, she is facing the reality of her future not to be exactly what she dreamed of. As an aging middle-age woman, having morning and an evening sickness is truly not fun. In addition, having a kid is such a huge responsibility she never really wanted it, especially now at an older age. Having an abortion by taking a specific number of pills, in and around the clock is a deep physical and emotional lifechanging experience.

Playwright, Lisa Kenner Grissom chose carefully every word while writing'here comes the night', and manages smooth dialogue with interwoven saddle humor, within the tragedy of the situation. Maggie, with her light personality and healing capability, playfully at first but later with excitement, sets an intention for Olivia to take another course of action, and keep the baby. There is a moment when both women, different in generations, reach the culmination in riding on two different trains and by unifying the understanding what really needs to happen, with preconceived notion of inner peace they make the transition to just do a ritual. As in nature, how the tree does it; Change happens from inside out and as the good friends they manifest the next part of their lives. They both alter their state of consciousness to a higher level and radical honesty emulates from both of them. Strong performances from both actresses keeps the audience on their toes throughout the play. The "radiating," of actors to each other's energy produces the naturalistic performance, exploring both physical and intellectual choices to deliver something truthful onstage. Truly a powerful and enjoyable performance. Bravo!

Director, Hailey McAfee shows us how a play about the abortion divides, and how far female friendship can go. To bridge their lives a white light is used as the source of peace and makes room for life's free energy to bloom.  In doing the energy sessions, an extension of yoga teachings is the belief, 'Dream big and the dreams will change.' Great job in filling every moment with compelling choices!                  

Produced by SheLA Arts in association with The Inkwell Theater, The TEAM for here comes the night are; Zoia Wiseman (Stage Manager and Lighting Designer), Andrea Allmond (Sound Designer), SheLA Arts (Graphic Design) and Publicity by Sandra Kuker PR. Production Still Photographer is Daniel Shoenman.