Welcome to 2023. At least for my first contribution.
My New Year for ASOTA starts at the Phoenix Theatre, where they are beginning the year with the Indianapolis premiere of Allison Gregory’s Wild Horses.
A one-woman show, Wild Horses stars both Phoenix Artistic Director Constance Macy and Indianapolis actress Jen Johansen, each alternating performances in the role of a woman recounting memories of her childhood. The theater describes the play as a “funny tale about a summer that changed an adolescent girl forever, told by her grown-up self.” It’s that and more.
Jen Johansen in Phoenix Theatre’s Wild Horses. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Now, I love a big spectacle onstage. I love big, elaborate shows. But even more important to me is good storytelling. Wild Horses achieves that goal at every turn. Recounting her memories of a very particular time in her childhood, this storyteller holds the audience mesmerized as she spins a tale of childhood friends and her own struggle to find identity, independence, and her place in a changing world.
In the performance I attended, the storyteller was played by Jen Johansen, who combined heartfelt storytelling with a terrific menagerie of characters from her subject’s past. Even in scenes involving multiple characters who nearly talk over one another, Johansen makes sure we follow along completely. It was not a showy performance, but one of true depth, feeling and connection.
Wild Horses is not a strictly “female” story, though the largely female audience I saw it with frequently responded with knowing laughs and audible moments of recognition. The pains and joys of adolescence are recognizable to all of us. It may not be just like “my story” at that age (though the music used was all very recognizable to me from my 13th and 14th years), but that is sort of the point. We empathize and compare experiences as we watch a good story being told. We recall similar feelings and emotions. Gregory’s script is well constructed and, while it treads on some familiar storytelling territory, this production’s high quality touches the audience in all the best ways.
In offstage matters, the direction by Lori Wolter Hudson was tight. Tonie Smith’s costume was just right and Laura Glover’s lighting was gorgeous, as were Jason Tuttle’s sound design and Katie Phelan Mayfield’s projections. And finally, Zac Hunter is turning into one of the best set designers in Indy.
Bottom line – the basic architecture of Wild Horses might seem familiar, but what the director, designers and Jen Johansen build at the Phoenix is a marvel of a tale and well worth your time.
Read more great play reviews from A Seat on the Aisle at asota.wordpress.com.