One thing can be said for certain about this summer’s Fairhaven Rep shows: it’s a hard-hitting batch. The Fairhaven Summer Repertory Theatre, an arm of Bellingham Theatreworks, opened Gidion’s Knot last night at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center. Written by Joanna Adams in 2013 and directed by Kathryn Van Meter, Gidion’s Knot doesn’t back down from grief, rage, and the more disturbing side of the human experience.
Heather (Rhonda J. Soikowski), a bereft fifth-grade teacher, is shocked when Corryn (Sunam Ellis) shows up for a parent-teacher conference; namely, because Corryn’s son, Gidion, died only a few days ago. Smart and blunt, Corryn is adamant that “there was an appointment” and that it must be kept. Corryn, like a lioness on the hunt, circles Heather conversationally and literally, attempting to untangle the truth behind her son’s death. Was Gidion being bulled – or was Gideon the bully? As the two women begin to accuse each other and themselves, they come face-to-face with the chilling darkness children are capable of.
In a show this small, the acting is everything. If the actors weren’t such top-notch professionals, I’d be afraid the tragic themes would come off as insensitive, rather than traumatic yet artful. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about: both Soikowski and Ellis gave stunning performances. Despite the tension, the actors’ severity and grace gave the show the professionalism it deserves.
Ellis plays Corryn like a nail: sharp, piercing, and with no tolerance for screwing around. She channels her grief into throwing cutting remarks at Heather, and though she is clean, rigid, and cold, there is an underlying desperation to know the reality behind Gidion’s death. As tempers are checked, we see fire spit out of this woman as grief and rage push to the surface.
Heather is timid against Corryn’s blunt personality. It would be too easy to underplay this character, but Soikowski brings to life this nervous, visibly disturbed schoolteacher. Though hesitant to directly address Corryn’s requests, Heather is no coward. She is not afraid to contradict Corryn and stand up for her students, and the two women balance each other well. Her bright pink cat socks, a costume choice that screams “older female teacher,” mock us in their cheerfulness as the tragedy unfolds.
The set threw me right back into elementary school. Colorful posters adorn the walls, handmade mobiles hang from the ceiling, and a cozy nook of pillows sits in a corner. Against the play’s heavy themes, the set provides a healthy counterweight. Simultaneously, it sets the tragedy in a place familiar to most of us, thus planting its roots deeper into reality.
Though some may balk at the violent descriptions within the script, I stand by the principle that the stage ought to be a place of experimentation. That beings said, I’d recommend checking out the trigger warnings on the theater’s website. I didn’t, and as the warnings are not in the program, I wish I’d prepared myself earlier.
If you want to witness superior acting and aren’t afraid of a little darkness, then I highly recommend you see this play – but again, don’t bring the kids! Just as Corryn can find beauty in the demented, Gidion’s Knot asks us to take it for what it is: a chilling, excellently done story.
Stay tuned for a review for What the Constitution Means To Me tomorrow.
Gidion’s Knot by Joanna Adams. Fairhaven Repertory Theatre, Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225. Various dates June 28th – July 22rd, 7:30pm or Sun 5pm.
Tickets: https://bellinghamtheatreworks.thundertix.com/events/211946.
Info: https://www.bellinghamtheatreworks.org/current-season or (360) 209-5599. Lot and street parking available.