Not since “The North Pool” at the Playhouse in the Park have I felt compelled to return to a show so much that I actually did so. But Nathan Alan Davis has crafted such a nuanced script that I felt like seeing ORIGIN STORY a second time would be best so that I could uncover all the layers and depth that he’s given us. And Joanie Schultz’s direction is tonally so specific; I wondered what it would be like to see it with a Saturday night audience rather than a matinee crowd. Turns out, the audience wasn’t what I’d expected or hoped for.
Despite it not being everyone’s cup of tea, I think ORIGIN STORY is one of the most brilliant new works I’ve seen in a very long time. This time around, I was able to really listen to the monologues; the actors delivering them nailed every second and squeezed out all the emotion and humor and sometimes both. I was especially taken with Michael Lepore’s physicality, Josh Odor’s commitment, Dwandra Nickole Lampkin’s earnestness, and Bill Timoney’s sincerity. Shonita Joshi’s intensity is on point, and she is so funny singing affirmations in the shower. Betsy Hogg has such a flair for making unlikeable endearing, and Amira Danan’s acting choices astound me. Margaret is such a specific character in her hands; no one else would ever dare play her like that, and if they did, it probably wouldn’t work.
I’m sad that this brilliant show is closing tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to follow this cast’s career and have my fingers crossed that they will all find new roles at the Playhouse in the future. (I might even make a trip to NYC to see Timoney in “Purlie Victorious,” opening on Broadway in September.). I also hope that I can see more of Davis’s plays produced locally and as brilliantly as this one.
ORIGIN STORY is a tale about our pasts and - ultimately - new beginnings. What a great way to end the theatre season.
CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK 2023-2024 season subscriptions are on sale now. More information can be found here.