Got the pandemic blues? Feel lonely? Depressed? Let Ojai Art Center Theater cure what ails you with “Tiny Beautiful Things.” This play about healing and finding courage runs through October 24, Friday and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays 2 p.m..
In March 2020 Laurie Walters Slade worked hard to perfect her starring role in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” only to see the show canceled days before opening. Soon after that devastating time Slade suggested “Tiny Beautiful Things,” a show with almost no physical contact between the cast, to the OACT committee.
“I recommended ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ to the Art Center Theater because the play charmed and touched me,” Slade said. “It’s deceptively simple but surprisingly wise. The simplicity and interiority of the play seemed to match these current times so well. For so many of us time slowed down and self-reflection became inevitable.”
Lynn Van Emmerik plays Sugar, an online advice columnist who doles out sage wisdom about many of life’s heartbreaking issues. Some of the language and adult situations Van Emmerik doesn’t care for. “But, it’s life,” Van Emmerik said. “These people reach out to Sugar the unorthodox advice writer for help. People begin to realize they aren’t going it alone. Not entirely. It’s a gritty, often painful work. I encourage people to stick through the tough bits. Like these times right now.”
Three actors, Ashley Osler, Elektra Cohen, and Isobel Roth, play a plethora of characters who email Sugar about a broad spectrum of problems. Portraying so many roles in one show poses a challenge for those three actors. Cohen feels especially grateful for the support she received from her fellow cast members, Stage Manager Dyane Landis, and Director Robert Blough. “The story while raw and painfully real at times is a heartfelt account of the struggles and heartache, humor and joy people experience,” Cohen said. “The journey I’m on with these characters has been a rollercoaster ride I never want to end.”
“It’s been wonderful to be a part of this great group of people,” Osler said. “Four weeks ago, when we started rehearsals, I wasn’t sure if we’d be ready but under Bob’s vision and direction it has turned into a great gift for audiences.” She compares this different acting experience to commedia del arte, where the characters don’t address each other directly but rather the audience. The letter writers serve as planets orbiting the sun of Sugar while they all support each other’s growth.
Before reading the “Tiny Beautiful Things” script Roth expected it to seem much too sentimental for her taste. “Big surprise,” Roth said. “I found the material compelling not only at first read but in an ongoing way. It’s been a pleasure to immerse myself in it and to participate in bringing it to life with a great group of partners. We are only four in the cast, but in fact, with our panoply of characters, we create a village.”
“Tiny Beautiful Things” is based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, co-conceived by Marshall Heyman and Thomas Kail. Strayed also wrote the bestselling memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” which inspired a movie starring Reese Witherspoon.
In 2016, way before anybody ever heard of COVID, The New York Times said, “’Tiny Beautiful Things’ turns out to provide an ideal catharsis for those suffering from the various deep-dyed blues that are so contagious right now.”
“The past couple of years have been times I doubt any of us imagined, much less ever wanted to live through,” Van Emmerik said. She went on to sum up the moral of the story. “We’re strong. We’re resilient. We reach out and find other hands reaching as well. Hold on, lift up if you can, be lifted if you need it. We can do this.“
Tickets for performances through October 24 are $20 general admission, $15 for seniors and Art Center members, available at https://ojaiact.org/tbt. “Tiny Beautiful Things” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. This play includes adult content and is for mature audiences. In compliance with the Ojai Art Center, CDC and County of Ventura MASKS & PROOF OF VACCINATIONS are required of all audience members.