‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ at nexStage
BY YANNA LANTZ
As part of the Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival, nexStage Theatre will present the contemporary comedy “Rapture, Blister, Burn” by Gina Gionfriddo. Performances run July 26-27 and Aug. 1-3 at the nexStage Theatre, with all shows commencing at 8 p.m.
Also being offered as part of the Festival will be William Shakespeare’s haunting classic “Hamlet,” July 28-31 and Aug. 4-6, nightly at 6 p.m. at Forest Service Park.
“Rapture, Blister, Burn” explores contemporary relationships between men and women.
“It’s about challenging the notion that women can have it all, and that’s O.K.,” explained Freddie Harris, who plays Catherine. “It’s about how men and women negotiate current social constructions of femininity and masculinity – how do they move within the constraints of those constructions – and the laughs and sorrows that emerge out of those negotiations.”
After completing grad school, Catherine and Gwen chose polar-opposite paths to lead their lives. While Catherine chooses the academic path, Gwen builds a home with her husband and children. Decades later, both women feel unfulfilled and covet the other’s life. A dangerous game of musical chairs commences – the prize being Gwen’s husband.
The play uses “the grass is always greener” idiom to explore theme.
“It’s about how we may never be happy about the way we have spent our life, and it poses the question ‘what if I had chosen a different path,’” said Brett Moellenberg, director.
Playwright Gionfriddo uses extremely contemporary dialogue in her intellectual and witty text. The lines may be fragments, but come together to tell a fluid story. Her dialogue encompasses and sheds light on four distinct women of a range of ages, each from a particular era and way of thinking.
“Gina is a very good writer,” Moellenberg said. “She is excellent with foreshadowing, and she is able to write her dialogue with easy-to-follow subtext. There is a lot of ‘unsaid’ action in the dialogue that we get to draw out. That said, the dialogue is a big challenge for the actors. It is very colloquial and non-poetic, and that can be the hardest dialogue to memorize.”
In addition to Harris, the standout cast features Kate Moncrief, Prue Hemmings, Savina Barini Brown and Rich Rush. Jamey Reynolds is the set designer, Samuel Mollner is the lighting designer and Alison Higdon is the costume designer.
Harris is thrilled to bring “Rapture” back to the nexStage after a successful reading of the play two years ago.
“This play is just so relevant and relatable,” she said. “When we did the reading two years ago, I had like 10 women come up to me and say ‘I am Gwen, I am Catherine.’”
“Audiences will enjoy the parallels to their own relationships and life choices,” added Moellenberg. “Also, the performances in this piece are exquisite. You have actors at the top of their game.”
Opening night, Tuesday, July 26, will be Ladies Night with a special pre-show party starting at 7 p.m. featuring all-you-can-drink champagne for the women in attendance. Tickets are $20 or $30 for reserved seats. For more information about the Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival and “Rapture, Blister, Burn” or “Hamlet,” go to www.nexstagetheatre.org or call (208) 726-4857.