What’s the deal with celebrity bloggers today? I mean, seriously! Just because you’re f-ugly doesn’t mean I want to look at your pictures of what’s-her-face’s vagina. You know what I’m saying? Get a j—is that a Chihuahua? No, dude, it’s totally a Chihuahua. They photoshopped a Chihuahua in her vagina! That’s sick. And also a little sad. Hey, that reminds me…
This week: Gina Gionfriddo’s “After Ashley,” directed by Rachel Silverman ’09.
This one is about media manipulation. The story follows a family sorting through a personal tragedy. Kind of like the one time when my father accidentally killed Aladdin, my pet goldfish. I didn’t speak to him for three days. Only in Gionfriddo’s play, there are no goldfish. Rather, one family’s misery and grief attracts massive media attention, forcing them to love through their sorrow under the careful watch of the public eye. How does the media manipulate the personal dramas of individuals for public use? What effect does this publicity have on the individual? “After Ashley” is an “interesting and honest look,” as Silverman puts it, “at how the public becomes obsessed with individual people” and the media’s manipulation of personal tragedy for “personal use and abuse.”
After assisting in the direction of “The Vagina Monologues,” Silverman was not sure what to expect heading into a full-scale production in the ’92 Theater. The experience, she would soon find, was “completely incomparable” to her previous work. “To have these people you really respect put all their faith in you” was a responsibility that required dedication, drive, and confidence. Luckily, Silverman is a decorated war veteran so these qualities are second nature.
I will be there opening night; if not only to witness a dramatic examination of media politics, than to oogle the exceptionally attractive cast. Damn!
Gina Gionfriddo’s “After Ashley” opens Thursday, April 12 and runs through Saturday, April 14 in the ’92 Theater. Performances Thursday and Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.. Free tickets are available day-of in the box office. Cast: Jesse Bordwin ’10, Shawn Diefenbach ’07, Rikki Goldenberg ’09, Dylan Marron ’10, Alex Powar ’09, and Caitlin Winarski ’10. Director: Rachel Silverman ’09. Stage Manager: Ariela Rotenberg ’10. Set Design: Anthony Nikolchev ’08. Lighting Design: Anna Martín ’09. Costume Design: Andrea Lipsky-Karasz ’08. Sound Design: Ted Feldman ’09. Props Design: Claire Greenwood ’09.
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