World Premiere of How to Break at Village Theatre
“Just break a little every day, it gets easier that way.”
Village theatre brings tragedy, hope and hip-hop to a moving musical that forces its characters to look death in the face, and keep dancing. How to Break focuses on hip-hop dancer Ana Ramos as she’s diagnosed with cancer and is interned at a children’s hospital for chemotherapy. She tries to keep up with her dance, stresses over her family’s finances, meets another hip-hop boy who’s sick, and faces the reality of her body breaking down despite her best efforts.
This story is similar in many regards to The Fault in Our Stars and Five Feet Apart in the way that it showcases young people struggling to live with medical conditions that irrevocably disrupt their lives. How to Break stands out in the way it treats human expression through dance and music – and the fact that it’s a musical –, and in its critique of the current American medical system. It doesn’t just advocate for one condition but calls out the prioritization of certain illnesses that result in others being ignored and underfunded. What makes it worse is that, oftentimes, the ignored conditions affect Black and Hispanic communities the most.
The play opens with Ana dancing to the medical explanation of her cancer. This immediately presents an ideal contrast between artistic expression and a seemingly emotionless reality. It also presents Ana as something more than a diagnosis as she speaks to the audience through her dance. This sets the format for the rest of the play, with people communicating through their art forms. Aaron Jafferis, book and lyrics writer, “every interaction we have with another human involves translation,” be it the translation of a language, a body, a gesture or art. And even when those things get translated, there’s so much left unheard and unseen. This shows up in the play and is very important for understanding what is going on.
The stage at Village Theatre is minimalist but striking. A series of lit-up arches frame the stage and change colors to set the mood. There’re only ever a few props out at a time, sometimes a hospital bed and other times yoga mats, but this leaves space for both the actors and the music to carry the play. There are rap, pop and beatboxing numbers, sometimes as solos or group performances. My personal favorite, “Painkillers”, gave me chills with its insane harmony and storytelling proficiency. Admittedly, other songs, though enjoyable, weren’t as memorable.
In the minimalist stage and in the distinctive story, the cast can stand out as they carry the plot forward through compelling acting and refreshing music and dance. Cheryse Dyllan showcases her energy in her portrayal of Ana and plays hard scenes of frustration and sickness beautifully. But I think it’s in her interactions with the other characters that she stands out the most.
With Ana’s dad, played by Andrés López-Alicea, there is a balance between tenderness and tension. Both Dyllan and López-Alicea portray the history and sweetness characteristic of a father and daughter yet play characters who are unable to fully translate those emotions. Ana speaks through her dance while her dad does so through acts of service, which results in occasional miscommunications.
Joel, or the “sick boy in residence”, is played by Cristian Rodriguez, whose eloquence makes him one of the most lovable characters on stage. Similar to Ana, he dances to express his feelings, although he’s a breaker (breakdancer) while Ana is a popper. Rodriguez is charming, and funny and brings out a softness not only in his own character but in everyone else’s as well, a commendable talent to say the least.
Finally, the medical team consists of Dr. Aden, Nurse Bowen and Maddy, played by Talia Thiesfield, John Kent Rickenbacker Jr. and Olivia Griffin, respectively. They all complement each other very well and make for a well-rounded cast both in acting and musical skills.
Rickenbacker Jr. beatboxes for the entirety of the play and is an impressive centerpiece in demonstrating unique types of artistic communication. Whenever he speaks, he does so in beatboxing. The audience won’t understand if he’s speaking in medical terms or not, but he makes his emotions understood, nonetheless. He also seems to be the main beatboxer for the two hours of the production.
Griffin is just as warm as Rickenbacker Jr. in her portrayal of Maddy, a musician and yoga instructor who helps patients heal through artistic expression and mindfulness. She’s the most emotive of the cast members and everyone quickly loves her (except Dr. Aden). Her music numbers also stand out in their lyrical melody, which contrasts well with hip-hop music.
Thiesfield does the least singing and mostly stands out in her character’s serious and cold demeanor as a doctor who has experienced loss and needs to compartmentalize her emotions and, thus, often gets misunderstood.
This cast definitely seems to bring out the best in each and put on a commendable production that I would recommend watching. They tell a powerful story about letting yourself be “sick and ill and hoping” nonetheless. There is still room for improvement in the opening and some of the music but it’s already a worthy production to watch. It is a thirty-minute drive from Seattle but it is a good excuse to visit another town and get out of the city for a while.
How to Break | Village Theatre, Issaquah, WA | March 29 – April 30, Wed to Sun.
Also at Everett, WA | May 5 – May 28.
Tickets: How to Break – Village Theatre
*All Photos Courtesy of Village Theatre