The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art has jumped headfirst into the pool of found space theater with its current exhibition, Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange, and the sold-out theatrical experience that accompanies it. Written by Bay Area poet Tess Taylor and directed by Ciera Eis, it’s based on Taylor’s book of the same name. It follows “The Poet” (Val Sinckler) as she embarks on a pilgrimage in search of Dorothea Lange (Valerie Façhman) through pictures and diary entries. Kenny Scott, Keiki Shimosato Carreiro and Chloë Parmelee round out the cast, playing multiple roles each. I attended the preview performance, which, Eis informed us, was only the second full run of the show. Also, Sinckler did not perform that night. Alejandra Wahl played the role instead. There were some excellent performances. Scott, in particular, walked on stage and commanded attention, bringing life and complexity to many characters that could’ve been one-note. Wahl was also excellent. She gave a connected, realistic performance that grounded everyone else’s performances. Her vulnerable portrayal of The Poet helped mitigate some of the fuzziness in the character’s motivations. Whether intentionally or by design, the company ended up being a series of talking heads, sometimes literally just saying their names and moving to the end of the line. And the script’s quasi-linear plot, which contrasts Lange’s reality with The Poet’s modern experiences, is not always clear about what is happening and why. Sharper direction with a focus on precision would have helped give limits to the scenes and kept the story moving more logically. Given time, the performances will solidify and the timing will improve, but I will still have a nagging worry about this production. The Poet recounts a story of being at the border and having border patrol approach her. Taylor walked away spooked; the people cast to say her words would not have been allowed to walk away. As the only member of the global majority in the audience, the painful irony was not lost on me. Casting a member of the global majority, and not commenting on the fact that they are playing a white woman, presents the danger that it may be lost on others.
https://bohemian.com/immersive-theater-featuring-dorothea-lange-photos-sonoma/
1,000 Words: Immersive Theater Featuring Dorothea Lange Photos in Sonoma
