The Girl in the Park

By Audrey Alunan

The Girl in The Park is a play performed by an intimate cast of four, who perhaps are a little too intimate.

The play revolves around the twisted, romantic lives of these four people. Allan is forced to encounter the Girl in the Park, but ends up kissing her, then confessing the kiss to his wife, Hannah. However, Hannah also has a secret - she's been sleeping with his brother, Will. When Allan moves out to pursue a relationship with the Girl, she repeatedly warns him that she is nothing but trouble, yet Allan jumps to take that risk. The Girl never truly reveals her name to the audience.

Allan's life is never the same after the kiss. Through the twists and the complications, this play has a simple message: one moment can completely change the status quo.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this play. Each individual scene was humorous and very well-acted. However, each scene was not in chronological order and switched back and forth from "three months earlier" or "later on that night". The show is difficult to follow and the audience is forced to put the pieces together.

The show ends three months in the past and leaves the ending open to interpretation. The playwright had a unique concept pertaining to the personality of each character, but the play simply needed straight-forward closure.

Schedule and ticket information here.

GirlPower: Survival of the Fittest

by Audrey Alunan

GirlPower: Survival of the Fittest is a collection of original monologues, scenes, and songs written and performed by members of the Project Girl Collective, a group of girls between the ages of 12 to 21.

GirlPower: Survival of the Fittest speaks for itself. The beginning of the play is like a simile put to life onstage - two military commanders thoroughly criticize their cadets under pressure, representing mean teenage girls. The cadets struggle under each commander's cruel words such as "fat" "weak" and "ugly." Sound familiar? We live in a world filled with obstacles such as body image, insecurity, being bullied, school, relationships, and simply feeling the urge to make change.

No, this isn’t just some unrealistic, cheesy, feminist show. Each girl in the cast shares a different story based on their personal realities, showcasing their diversity and strength. During each scene, I recognized the circumstances that these girls were undergoing. After all, I am a teenage girl, too. Their messages really sank in during one of the scenes when a girl asked: "Who are you to tell me what I'm supposed to look like?"

I left the theatre feeling inspired and uplifted. Every girl will leave with a sense of empowerment and everyone else will leave with a renewed amount of feminine respect.

*Plog Pick

Schedule and ticket information here.