Review: Experimental theater shows soft side of Southern culture
City College instructor Susan Jackson’s newest series of plays about untainted Southern-American compassion titled, “4 Mercy: Friendly Fires,” premiered earlier this month-- complete with raucous patriotism and roadside confessions.
By Peter Hernandez The Guardsman
City College instructor Susan Jackson’s newest series of plays about untainted Southern-American compassion titled, “4 Mercy: Friendly Fires,” premiered earlier this month-- complete with raucous patriotism and roadside confessions.
The series of plays written by Jackson, performing arts teacher at City College, abandoned the stereotypical homophobic and racist characteristics of Southerners and rather embraced a feminine and generally up-beat relationship between mostly Southern women in various eras in the South.
A native of North Carolina Jackson illuminates the common expression, "Lord have mercy," through what she calls "little acts of mercy" performed as informal vignettes on stage at Royce Gallery, a small fine arts and performance space in the Mission District. The play is a four-person cast including Jackson.
Her seasoned writing paired with stage direction involving both members of the cast and former City College instructor Stephen Drewes incorporates the actors’ personalities. The theme of mercy is expressed through coerced confessions and playful engagement between friends on stage.
Jackson sat wide-eyed behind heavy make-up on a hot pink sofa in the middle of the gallery’s hallway. She spoke about the themes behind her series, “4GIVENESS: In a Family Way.”
“The plays are about the goodness of humanity, in all its awfulness, and in all its stupidity,” Jackson said.
“In Situ,” the third vignette shows Beth, played by Jackson, and Henri, played by Diana Brown, bitterly disputing the emotional turmoil that accompanies Beth’s cancerous tumor.
Henri drinks a warm beer on stage, vehemently and drunkenly accusing Beth of selfishness while Beth apologizes repeatedly. It is a painful thing to see and yet Beth’s mercy prevails, although she is dying.
In the vignette “Adopt a Highway,” a delightful and sometimes stagnant focus on three confidantes driving --to what they believe to be a funeral-- is a humorous moment in the play, due to Diana Brown’s playful acting, which shows her warm and energetic personality.
Adrienne Krug, perhaps the most apprehensive of the four actors, is the first actor to take the stage in the series of vignettes, but also the least memorable. Her roles have the capacity to amuse but seem incomplete, particularly when playing the role of Crazy Lacy, who hugs a stuffed squirrel by a river.
The vignette “Rockets’ Red Glare” has Jackson’s playwriting skills at their best.
In it, Crazy Lacy is interrupted by the arrival of Nandy Hollister, played by Diana Brown, and the sole male character, Salacious Peter Jr., played by Eric Nelson. With his arrival, the mayoral competition between conservative Salacious and the liberal and jaded Peaches Nasterson, played by Susan Jackson, ensues.
A twist, former lovers Nandy and Salacious are on opposing political teams. Nandy manipulates Salacious in a climactic moment when she records him admitting his foul play.
Jackson’s humor is palpable with an alarm that warns Nandy not to fall into Salacious’ attempts at seducing her.
“If your heart’s good, you’ll come around,” said Jackson, noting the theme of loyalty that prevails in pieces like “Rockets’ Red Glare” and “In Situ.”
Jackson’s series, “4GIVENESS: In a Family Way” will continue next year with “Beholden,” in which she promises to further develop the compelling mayoral race between Salacious Peter and Peaches Nasterson.
