Review: Love is a ‘Strange Country’

Tiffany (Vanessa Vache) has a lot on her plate on the weekend of July 4^th. She needs to organize a recommitment ceremony of her parents and bring her brother Darryl (Sidney Williams) to the event, which he resists with all his might, remaining in his depressed and constantly buzzed mind. Tiffany’s girlfriend, Jamie (Bethany Geraghty), tags along but her high sensitivity to the mess in the apartment and siblings arguing makes her a terrible help. So here we are, in a small town in Bell County, Texas, trapped in the apartment with three lost souls, watching them help and terrorize each other, and it’s not always clear who’s doing which.

Photo by Hunter Canning

Strange Country, produced by New Light Theater Project and Access Theater, is a play written by Anne Adams. She created three complex characters whose state of being is stagnation yet there is a constant movement in the show, which makes it very engaging. Feisty Tiffany, portrayed by Vanessa Vache, is like a shot arrow, she has a goal in front of her and she is pushing hard to get there. She is very active on stage, constantly cleaning and packing, smoking, and firing inspirational lines. Her disturbed other half, Jamie played within a broad emotional range by Bethany Geraghty, is the one who stirs the sibling’s lives. The real dark horse in the play is Darryl, brought to life by Sidney Williams. His performance is evenly mellow on the surface throughout the show, yet he seems like a different person by the end.

Three wonderful actors directed by Jay Stull have an amazing chemistry and play off each other very well. Every pause is in its place and even when we are left alone, looking at the stage that everybody left, the anticipation is charged with possibilities. The single set designed by Brian Dudkiewicz is a scarily realistic looking apartment with junk crammed everywhere, faded wallpaper, and a greasy lazy-boy. The interior portrays Darryl’s emotional state very well. The lighting design by Michael O'Connor creates seamless transitions between different times of the two days over which the story is unfolding.

Alcohol and drug abuse, violent temper, broken marriages and children in custody of the ex spouse without visitation rights - Darryl and Jamie have a lot in common. While Tiffany is running around trying to make everything right, the two “most screwed up people in the world” are bonding. Adams doesn’t give us a straightforward answer if they are helping each other or ruining each other’s and theirs futures. Much like in life, there is no black and white, there is a constant struggle for truth and happiness, even if it hurts other people.

Strange Country is running through August 13^th, Wednesday – Saturday at 8pm. Access Theater is located at 380 Broadway on the 4th floor (at White Street). Tickets are $15 at 630-632-1459 or strangecountry.brownpapertickets.com.