Flying with Color - Solo Performance Festival / Best in Shorts

Solo Performance Festival

Best in Shorts performed 3/23/2010

It starts with the sound of a car – maybe a bus – whizzing by. Then the sound of a chicken chatting away takes over… We are in the dark. More sounds of what seems like a quiet, rural town stream in and now we just need to figure out where exactly we are in the world. Finally, a little boy calling for his “Papa” begins to sing a song, and the lights eventually come up on Ben Gonio, who begins to tell the story of a man’s journey to America from The Philippines.

Flying with Color, written by Ben Gonio, at first seems like just another story of a man’s immigration from a third world country to the “land of opportunity”. You expect to hear about his struggle; his discoveries; maybe the sacrifice he makes going away from the love of his life. But it’s more than that, and yet so very simple. Flying with Color is ultimately about the never-ending relationship between a boy and his Father. And without giving away its poignant ending, we are able to appreciate this immigrant story we may have all heard before from all the Kitchen God’s Wives and Hannah is my Names through a window: the bond a boy made with his Father, even after two years of separation…oh - and a hat. (You just have to go see the play.) [editor's note: since the play has concluded its short run, you can find more info about Gonio and his productions at www.bengonio.com]

Aside from some minor sound level issues that may have drowned out some of the dialogue if it wasn’t for Gonio’s projection adjustment, this show was well produced, theatrical, and very touching. His ability to seamlessly go back and forth from the charming, “machismo”, but later somewhat frail character of his Father to the sweet, challenged, and feminine character of his Mother is what tops this actor’s performance in this year’s Best in Shorts. Gonio somehow, with his wonderful story-telling, improvisational, and multimedia skills takes us on an emotional journey from the Philippines to America, from fear to triumph, and from loss to legend, in just fifteen minutes.

Guest Review!

Anonymous

Solo Performance Festival: Monologue Slam

Solo Performance Festival
Monologue Slam!
Tickets and Information
March 13th, 2010

I arrived ten minutes after ten, thinking I was late. Hardly. The doors were still locked. But within a few moments, someone opened it, and the other waiting guests and I were welcomed warmly. Despite having no proof of my free press ticket, I was ushered in for free. The first thing I did was order a Sodo Brown at the bar and settle on one of the cushy couches for a front row seat. At this point, I was one of only a dozen or so attendees, and the number barely doubled the rest of the night. But the hostess, Babette, did not seem in the least bothered by the small turnout. Babette was a woman dressed in a French maid costume of sorts, with a bad black wig, heavy makeup, and a gorilla-like way of stomping around and making noises. Using lettered signs, Babette began the monologue slam without the main hostess herself, Fou Fou.

I learned that a monologue slam goes a bit like this: the host calls for contestants. Contestants are called on stage and then must respond to a command of sorts by the host--such as tell a story using a title someone in the crowd makes up, or develop a character with only the name of someone’s great-aunt for inspiration. The contestants this night seemed drawn to participate less out of enthusiasm than out of resignation- like well, since no one else is here, I guess I might as well. That said, they gave a number of entertaining performances. In total, there were four monologue slammers- oddly, all of them blonde (including the short balding gay man). They began their rounds, when in walked Fou Fou herself- wearing little else but a leotard, some fishnet, and high heels. Fou Fou was a drag queen of supreme elegance, with a voice dripping like honey and oozing with high praise for the participants. Fou Fou and Babette did a fine job leading the slammers through the rest of their turns.

Some highlights included a team monologue, where two of the female participants created a story about two women who, angry about the reaction of their bosses at Hooters to their recent weight gain, come up with a plan that they think is clever indeed. Their plan is to open up a competing restaurant called “Bootie” in which the lower, rather than the upper part of the woman’s body is flaunted. Other highlights were the story of a farmer who invented the idea of a milking carousel, and a traffic accident where the offender was a giant crawfish. When the night concluded, I had gained a new hefty respect for monologue slams. Contestants are gutsy, and the good ones can think on the spot, whip numerous stories and accents out of their pockets, and have magical timing to get to a punch line before the host calls “time.” Congrats to the winner, who won two tickets to Teatro Zinzanni. I encourage all of you to get yourself to the next monologue slam- and to compete.

Guest review by Megan Horst

CURIOUS? The next Monologue Slam is March 27th. Get down there and show 'em what you got!

For more information and tickets to the festival, check it out here: http://www.theatreoffjackson.org/spf4.html

Solo Performance Festival: The Dwellers & Samson

The Dwellers and Samson
Solo Performance Festival
March 8th, 2010

The breadth and depth of Seattle’s solo performance talent pool is remarkable, and the Solo Performance Festival brings many of them under one roof. Monday night’s billing matched an experienced solo performer, and his story of an apartment building “where the floors are thinner than the walls,” with a talented musical actress going solo for the first time as she explores a new form of musical theater.

The Dwellers, written and performed by Jonah Von Spreecken, is not quite a mystery, but writing too much about it runs the risk of ruining some delightful surprises. To keep it simple: Yerda, who is a sort of manager of an urban apartment building, has brought most of the tenants together. We in the audience are in fact “the dwellers” of the building. With the help of some recorded conversations which he plays on his phonograph, Yerda tells us his story. Von Spreecken as Yerda is a very engaging performer. Every expression and action is very specific, including a catalogue of repeated hand gestures that provide some of the funniest bits of the evening. You feel a part of this world before the show even begins, and long after it ends, just what a successful solo performance hopes to achieve.

Billie Wildrick’s Samson is an entirely different animal. She admits this candidly when she breaks the fourth wall and introduces her “plus one, even though you’re supposed to go stag in a solo performance,” Josh Carter, who provides live musical accompaniment. Samson, she tells us, is a work in progress. Her aim is to take musical theater in a new direction, where intimate spaces and acoustic music take the place of enormous sets and flashy dance numbers. Rather than interrupting the story occasionally, music is to be a constant throughout the narrative, coming in and being a part of the story when necessary. This piece, a re-telling of the story of Samson and Delilah, is her first foray into a new world and it is an excellent start. When the piece hits its mark, and her beautiful voice intertwines with Josh Carter’s haunting music, it soars. She asks for audience feedback in her introduction, and she deserves it, to help her fine-tune the work. It sounds like she will be working on the show throughout the festival, so repeat viewings would not be amiss. The final product, for this festival anyway, on March 29th could be significantly different than what was on display Monday night.

You have three more chances to see each of these works, including one more chance to see this same double-billing. Monday night’s audience was disappointingly small, and both of these performers are deserving of full houses. For the full festival lineup, visit http://www.theatreoffjackson.org/spf4.html

There are still three more weekends of shows to go—enjoy solo performance!

by Guest Reviewer Patrick Lennon

Solo Performance Festival: Pipa & Frontier: Valley of the Shadows

Solo Performance is back in Seattle! The Solo Performance Festival #4: Can you Get My Back? is up and running at the Theater off Jackson in the international district. Curator Keira McDonald has brought together acts from across North America in a huge variety of genres: storytelling, stand-up, dance, burlesque, and much much more.

To view the full festival lineup and buy tickets, visit http://www.theatreoffjackson.org/spf4.html

All this month, BroadwayHour.com reviewers and some new guest reviewers will be writing short pieces about various shows thoughout the run of the festival. Ever wanted to be involved in BroadwayHour, or see what reviewing a show is like? Now's your chance! Send an email to broadwayhour AT sbcglobal.net and let us know what shows you're interested in reviewing, and you too can be a reviewer for an evening.

Below, read the first review, from this past Friday night:

Pipa and Frontier: Valley of the Shadows
Solo Performance Festival
March 5th, 2010

One of the best parts of Seattle's Solo Performance Festival is the sheer amount of variety in the acts brought to the stage. Curator Keira McDonald pairs performers that otherwise might never share the stage, and that pairing brings out nuances in each act. Such was the case with Friday night's show, which paired Tamera Ober's Pipa and Ki Gottberg's Frontier: Valley of the Shadows.
Ober opens Pipa by rushing onto the stage and bumping straight into the microphone. Adorably sheepish, she makes her way down to the mic—pointed close to the floor—and begins to narrate her story. With a mixture of live storytelling, voice overs, music and dance, Ober shows us the story of Pipa, a girl who sees the world slightly differently from the rest of us. Ober's movements are beautifully controlled, whether she is carefully measuring herself out on the floor, or catapulting around the stage. Ober's control extends to her set as well, as she both climbs and carries a velvet-covered stool and a long bench. Her quirky and charming choreography takes us through her house and on a journey to the supermarket that quickly turns fantastical.
Ki Gottberg's Frontier is a ride from India to Germany to the United States, from parents to children, about taking in the fullness of life and facing the hardships. She tells the story of her parents, one a German knife-seller, the other an Anglo-Indian woman, and their journey to meet and move together to America. Gottberg is a master storyteller, able to change her voice and body at a moment's notice to imitate her father's gruff German accent, or her mother's wispy Indian voice. Interspersed with this—and the true driving force of this tale—is Gottberg facing her daughter's diagnosis of cancer. Though the story has a happy ending, Gottberg does not shy away from baring her grief to the audience, and bringing us close to her.
Though Pipa never mentions the word “frontier,” the character within it faces many frontiers, and finds her way around various boundaries, both physically and metaphorically. And though Gottberg standing center stage with a music stand may not seem a likely pair with a lively dance act, her story of family generations beautifully complements Pipa's solo journey.
Unfortunately, Tamera Ober performs this weekend only, but Seattle audiences have one more chance to catch Gottberg's show, on March 13th. For the full festival lineup, visit http://www.theatreoffjackson.org/spf4.html

There are still three more weekends of shows to go—enjoy solo performance!

Reviewed by Kenna Kettrick

Legally Blonde: The Musical - 5th Avenue Theatre

Legally Blonde the Musical

5^th Avenue Theatre

February 25 – March 14, 2010

Tickets and Information

Oh my god, omigod, you guys—Legally Blonde The Musical is here! Based on the popular movie that made blonde the new pink, this Tony-nominated Broadway hit is touring the country and makes its Seattle stop at the 5^th Avenue Theatre. With music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach, this adaptation is both faithful to its source and freshly entertaining.

The entire cast (right down to the highly trained canines that perform as Bruiser and Rufus) is packed with talent. Becky Gulsvig plays Elle Woods with just the right amount of perky naiveté to charm the audience entirely. Jeff McLean as Warner Huntington III exhibits some of the best pop-vocal control that has ever come to Seattle. As Vivienne Kensington, Elle’s erstwhile rival, Megan Lewis goes from uptight conservative to impressive belting pop soprano in the drop of a magazine. And we can all look forward to the next production in which J.B. Bonds (Emmett Forrest) comes to town as well. His stage presence is captivating and I only hope that he is given more freedom in the future to really let loose the power he clearly has.

Cast of Legally Blonde the Musical. Photo by Joan Marcus, 2010.

Jerry Mitchell’s direction is light but precise, and his choreography splashes across the stage, full of cheerleading inspired moves as well as classic Broadway stylings. The dancing is fully playful enough to keep up with O’Keefe and Benjamin’s clever songs, which make use of word play and pop references to keep the audience laughing. The design team behind Legally Blonde pulls out all the stops; Gregg Barnes’ costumes run the gamut from colorful California girls to corduroy-clad law students, and David Rockwell’s scenic design transports the audience between two coasts without a hint of jetlag.

Legally Blonde: The Musical joyfully takes stage in Seattle for the next three weeks. Big, sassy and glitzy, this production is the epitome of a Broadway musical, and possibly the most purely entertaining thing you will see all year.

Review by Kenna M. Kettrick

Glengarry Glen Ross - Seattle Repertory Theatre

Glengarry Glen Ross

Seattle Repertory Theatre

February 5 – 28, 2010

Tickets and Information

Glengarry Glen Ross’s commentary on American economics in the 1980s was undeniably brilliant. It’s no wonder it won the 1984 Pulitzer (serendipitous year, no?). However, the most thrilling and terrifying aspect is how a 1980s play about the 1970s economic scandal regarding land scams can speak so blatantly about our own 2010 national fiscal situation—not only in terms of dollars and cents, but political mores and socio-economic regulations.

All politics aside, however (though it would be impossible to take Glengarry Glen Ross without a basket full of political salt-grains), Wilson Milam’s production of David Mamet’s 1984 play at the Seattle Rep is, to say the least, gripping. The biggest challenge this production faces is the loss of momentum in the last several minutes. The staging begins to slowly pull the audience’s focus from the heart of the action to the outlying limbs before the lights go down. Perhaps this is intended, perhaps not. Either way, though an unfortunate loss in the locomotion, the play up to that point is unstoppable. Bringing together the design team from last year’s production of Connor McPherson’s The Seafarer, the Rep’s production takes a much more humorous approach to the dark and neurotic piece that is Glengarry Glen Ross. Milam’s direction uses his actors’ finely-honed comedic skills to bring to life every potential comic bit. Mind you this is not slap-stick; this is not a play that would be called “funny” like dogs in clothes are “funny,” but compared to the 1990s film adaptation it’s an absolute laugh-fest.

It’s useless to try to point out one or two actors from a cast in which the raw man-power (and I mean MAN power) took a two hour play and made it feel like the audience’s entire life flashed by in twenty-minutes. Therefore, a hearty slap-on-the-back to each and every man on stage for the chair-throwing, desk-kicking, man-shoving, spit-flinging performance put forth.

A special shout-out, as well, to Eugene Lee’s set design which – when you see this show (which you ought to do) – will be spectacularly self-evident.

There are many people who believe they’ve seen Glengarry Glen Ross because they’ve “watched the movie.” They’ve heard the words, they’ve seen people act out the scenes, but to truly see Glengarry Glen Ross, go see this production at the Seattle Rep—it brings this play to life.

Review by Andrew J. Perez

South Pacific - 5th Avenue Theatre

South Pacific

5^th Avenue Theatre

January 29 - February 21, 2010

Tickets and Information

Keala Settle as Bloody Mary and the ensemble of South Pacific. Photo by Peter Coombs, 2010.

There are very few Broadway musicals that can be considered as intimidating and challenging to produce as South Pacific. Since the original premier in 1949 it has not been revived on Broadway until Bartlett Sher’s Tony Award-winning production nearly sixty years later. There is an inherent element of trepidation associated with productions of South Pacific stemming from the rather touchy subject matter of the war and the racism prevalent at the time and in the show. It takes a very alert and trust-worthy director to bring this show to life for a modern audience and Sher does not disappoint.

Another challenge with this particular tour is the extremely high expectations regarding the quality of the show. After Sher’s production premiered in 2008 (garnering 11 Tony nominations and 7 wins including Best Revival and Best Direction) there has been nothing short of fanatic desire to see this production across the country. Fortunately for the country, we don’t have to fly to New York to see why this revival has gathered so much attention. As Bartlett Sher said before the opening performance, “the cast we have here is actually as good as the one on Broadway.” Not having seen the New York production I cannot speak to that myself, but after seeing the show here at the 5^th Avenue Theatre, I don’t doubt it for a moment.

Whereas productions across Seattle have acquired a tendency to be as big as possible (elaborate sets, intense technical elements, big stars in the lead roles, etc…) this tour of South Pacific brings a breath of fresh air. Being a naturally big show – as any Rogers and Hammerstein show will be – it would be easy to cover it in glitter and star-power before serving it up to the world. However, Sher’s direction of this play is based on a very strong trust in the text. The set (Michael Yeargan) is impressive, no doubt, but not overwhelming. Most of the transitions are met with wood-slat curtains and beautiful lighting shifts (Donald Holder). The performances, too, are extremely rich and full. There is no pretension in any of the actors’ performances. It seems that everyone involved with this production took the text, loved it, nurtured it and let it take them into the world Rogers and Hammerstein wrote, bringing the audience with them. (Photo Left: Rod Gilfry and Carmen Cusack. Photo by Peter Coombs, 2010.)

Carmen Cusack (Ensign Nellie Forbush), Rod Gilfry (Emile de Becque), Keala Settle (Bloody Mary), Matthew Saldivar (Luther Billis) and Anderson Davis (Lt. Joseph Cable) lead this extremely ensemble-driven show magnificently. The chemistry between Cusack and Gilfry from the moment the curtain rises is undeniably palpable. Every moment of the show tastes of their relationship whether or not either or both are on stage at that moment. Their honesty and openness absolutely shine. Similarly, Saldivar and Davis carry their amazingly challenging roles with grace and power. Saldivar’s candor and humanity on stage is an absolute treat to watch and Davis’ freedom in his portrayal of Lieutenant Cable’s struggle is, to put it simply, brilliant. Meanwhile, all throughout, Settle’s Bloody Mary brings a gut-punch duo of comedy and sincerity that keeps the audience as enthralled as ever, sixty-one years after the original premier.

A special spotlight goes out to the stage management team (Brian J. L’ecuyer, Production Stage Manager, and Kelly Marie Furlough and Michael Krug, Stage Managers) for shattering my theory of timing for shows. On average shows in Seattle start six minutes past the curtain time, intermission goes at least three or four minutes over the scheduled time and the end time is always a little off. However, South Pacific’s overture started exactly on time, intermission was perfectly precise and the show ended at exactly at three hours, ever minute worth-while.

Tickets are nearly sold-out, so follow the link above, and get your seats booked now for the first tour of the first Broadway revival of South Pacific because it really does make any night a very enchanted evening.

Review by Andrew J. Perez

The Great Divorce -- Taproot Theatre Company

Nathan Jeffrey, Pam Nolte, and David Dorrian (L-R). Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The Great Divorce

Taproot Theatre Company
January 27- February 27 2010
Tickets and Information

C.S. Lewis is known to many as the author of the beloved Narnia series, but his writings extended far beyond that. Lewis, a devout Christian, wrote many treatises, fables, essays and books on religious themes, using his considerable talent with words and imagery to unfold his ideas. The Great Divorce, adapted for the stage by George Drance and the Magis Theatre, is one such book: Lewis' dreamlike adventure on a bus ride though Hell and Heaven and what he observes there.

The Great Divorce is less a straightforward story, and more a theatrical meditation, a collection of meetings and moments strung together by Lewis' narration and his constant wonder at the strange place he is now in. The play manages to be highly philosophical and fantastical, without losing what makes each vignette work: the connection between human beings, and the sincere desire of each denizen of heaven to bring everyone else up to heaven with them.

Jenny Cross and Candance Vance (L-R). Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Director Scott Nolte's staging of the play has a measured pace, giving the audience ample time to truly understand the sometimes complex theology surrounding them. David Dorrian, as our narrator C.S Lewis, carries the backbone of the show, but it is the ensemble around him that creates the swirling energy of the piece. Each plays multiple characters ranging from gray ghosts to lively angels and every kind of human in between, and each new turn is fresh and clear.

Mark Lund's set opens backwards into archways that suggest wide spaces beyond, inviting the audience as well as the characters. Window panes play host to Jody Briggs' gorgeous light design, which conveys dawning mornings and muddy streets alike. Sarah Burch Gordon's costumes bring us a new level of the story, from her carefully nuanced grays and tweeds of the early ghost people to the bright contrasting colors of the heaven dwellers.

Taproot's swift turnaround from the fire of October 2009 is a testament to the great support offered by the community, and the theater's space now looks shiny and clean, though still as cozy as ever. But what is most important is that the caliber of theater offered by Taproot remains high, and that their 2010 season has opened well. The Great Divorce is not a play for everyone; those looking for a rollicking escape from daily life would do well to search elsewhere. But for an evening of thinking theater, of a play that presses your philosophical opinions and gently offers new ways of thought, Taproot's show never once missteps.

Review by Kenna Kettrick

Speech and Debate - Seattle Repertory Theatre

Speech and Debate
Seattle Repertory Theatre
January 15 – February 21, 2010
Tickets and Information

Plays dealing with adolescent issues are nothing new, nor are plays dealing with controversial topics like abortion, sex scandals, closeted homosexual Republicans and censorship. What makes Stephan Karam's Speech and Debate remarkable is that it manages to confront all these topics without pretension, and without trying to be provocative or to shock the audience.

Speech and Debate revolves around the lives of three outsider highschool students in semi-conservative Salem, Oregon, each of whom has secrets, like any teenager. Solomon (Justin Huertas) is determined to be a reporter, writing an all-important article about the pattern of anti-gay Republicans being outed—most recently the mayor of Salem. Diwata (Erin Stewart) yearns to be an actress, but is continually passed over for the school plays. Howie (Trick Danneker), a gay teenager from Portland, just wants to finish highschool and leave. All three students are soon tangled together by their own secrets, blackmailing and bullying each other in attempts to get what they want—a chance to perform, a real article published, or just to have a normal senior year.

(L-R) Justin Huertas, Trick Danneker, Amy Thone, and Erin Stewart in Speech & Debate. Photo by Chris Bennion.

What makes this play sing as brilliantly as it does is the tight writing, fast pace, precise use of technology, and—most of all—the acting of the three leads. Huertas, Stewart and Danneker portray the lanky physicality, verbal tics and tenacity of awkward teenagers to perfection. (“That is my private journal,” Stewart screams with outraged indignation, when Huertas bursts into her life after finding her public internet blog.) Amy Thone carries her double roles as a teacher and a local reporter quite well, but the play truly belongs to the other three. They capture complicated and varying emotions without hesitation and with an enormous amount of humor.

The design also plays a large part in making this particular production work so well. Matthew Smucker uses his characteristic straight lines and flat planes to great effect in creating a sterile-looking highschool classroom, that feels like every public school classroom in the United States. Smucker also designs the projections that begin each scene, and set the quirky tone for the entire play. Matt Starritt's sound design—incorporating everything from Lady Gaga to “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”—keeps the pace jaunty and the atmosphere lively, while Christine Meyer's costumes enunciate each character clearly and, sometimes, hilariously. Andrea Allen's direction is light and swift, incorporating her actors' talents and her design elements into an engaging whole.

By the end, Speech and Debate hasn't solved large controversial issues, or even passed judgment on any of them. The value of the play lies not in shoving problems in our faces, or trying to be provocative. Rather, what works is its straightforward and hilariously honest portrayal of Howie, Diwata and Solomon grappling with their own problems—ones that we all recognize, whether we are their age or far older.

Review by Kenna M. Kettrick

Electra - Seattle Shakespeare Company

Electra
Seattle Shakespeare Company
January 7-31 2010
Tickets and Information

In all times and places throughout history, vengeance has been and shall remain a central issue and topic of debate. How do we balance Justice with Vengeance? Which is which and how do we avoid getting lost in the grey area in between? Director Sheila Daniels tackles this rather personal struggle (as one can read in her director’s notes in the program) through Sophocles’ intensely cathartic play, Electra. Frank McGuinness’ 1998 adaptation of Sophocles’ ancient text brings the profound suffering of the characters to life through language that is both raw and lilting. Every member of the cast has great facility with McGuinness’ text, and Daniel’s direction keeps each word immediate while retaining the power of the poetical.

In playing the title character, Marya Sea Kaminski eliminates all conventional boundaries and tears through the text. Her passion becomes our catharsis as she takes the audience far beyond any comfort zone Seattle Shakes has provided in the past few months and brings forth a new beast of emotional rollercoastering to which most Seattle Theatre-goers are not yet accustomed. Orestes (Darragh Kennan), Electra’s brother who has been exiled since childhood, beautifully portrays his realization of the extent of the horror that his family has suffered while he has been raised so far away from it. Susannah Millonzi, as Electra’s sister Chrysothemis, is torn between her sister and the family that controls her and, in her struggle, brings the audience into the tempestuous pain that she feels. Also of note is John Bogar as Aegisthus, the despiséd and murdering king, whose stage time is perhaps four minutes at the most, and yet brings the audience to wish him dead within the first seconds of his entrance. Each member of the cast pours everything they have into this production; there is no weak link among them, and there is no emotional fourth wall to protect the audience from the truly Greek catharsis of this play.

Marya Sea Kaminski as Electra and Susannah Millonzi as Chrysothemis. Photo by John Ulman.

Every design element works in concert with Daniels’ directing to create a piece that feels modern while transcending any specific time period. Andrea Bryn Bush’s set, with its straight lines and chain-link fences, hints at majesty and ruthlessness not unfamiliar in our modern era of urban warfare and subversive tactics. Andrew D. Smith’s lighting design sculpts the space and the story, nearly a character of its own, as is Robertson Witmer’s sound, dissonant, chiming and thunderous. The costumes (Pete Rush) taste of ancient Greece from modern elements, and are tailored specifically to each character—for example, spotless and silky for the queen, but a dirty tank top and ripped skirt for Electra.

Electra is a story of revenge, suffering and triumph that could easily descend into melodrama, losing the honest characters within it. However, with McGuinness’ inspired adaptation, a cast of truly brilliant actors, and Daniels’ pitch perfect direction, this Electra hauls the audience through ninety non-stop minutes of tragedy at its best to the dramatic end and shows the humanity of the story all along the way.

Review by Kenna M. Kettrick and Andrew J. Perez