Review: GONDAL - New Play Misses The Mark, But Shows Promise

GONDAL is presented by the University of Texas at Austin's Theatre and Dance department, as part of UT New Theatre showcase. Now in its tenth year, UTNT presents newly created works of theatre from UT graduate playwrights. Created to facilitate these emerging artists, UTNT serves as the jumping off point for their original and imaginative creations. In the words of curators, Steven Dietz and Liz Engelman, these plays, "seek to delight and disrupt you; to turn the familiar inquiry of the name "play" on its head.

GONDAL is the latest work by playwright and M.F.A. Playwriting candidate, Kimberly Belflower. The synopsis states that the play follows the story of two different groups of women in the past and present, coming to terms with themselves and their place in the world. The past focuses on the Brontë sisters in 1832 before they became accomplished writers. The sisters; Charlotte (Baylie Figueroa), Emily (Annemarie Alaniz), and Anne (Carleigh Newland), along with brother, Branwell (Conor Barr), create new worlds together through their love of storytelling; but Emily is drawn to darker, more violent themes. With her sisters preoccupied with issues more appropriate for women of the time, Emily slips into a chilling world of her own creation. Similarly, the present revolves around a group of young girls; Lainey (Adriana Scamardi), Amber (Jade Jackson), and later on, Vanessa (Sophia Pollock). The teenagers create their own stories inspired by their fixation with the internet horror character, Slenderman (Andy Moe) to cope with the pressures of high school drama and social standards. Lainey delves deeper into this obsession when her crush, Luke (Ismael Vallejo) starts to show interest in Amber. The third storyline, unmentioned in the original synopsis is that of the playwright herself in the form of the character, Kimberly Belflower (Lina Chambers). She navigates through the stories and characters she's created, often breaking the fourth wall, while also coming to grips with her own perceived darkness.

Although the premise holds potential this debut is, unfortunately, uneven. The story itself is intriguing and unapologetic, but the script by Belflower is in need of refocusing. While Kimberly, Lainey, and Emily all share the similar trait of edging closer to darkness, there is very little that ties the three stories together. Vignettes attempting to blend past and present seem to lack needed cohesion. The frequent, sudden transitions between these scenes make the storyline feel choppy and unclear as if further plot explanation is missing. Perhaps, the more frequent presence of Kimberly Belflower's character could connect and further guide the story; giving this script a more solid outcome.

The missteps of the new production cannot solely be placed on the script and playwright. M.F.A. Directing candidate, Adam Sussman's vision does not seem to align with that of the play and often feels aimless. The characters' blocking and movement appear unmotivated and unnatural, with many actors appearing to anticipate moments in scenes before they occur. With a run time of ninety-five minutes and no intermission, this production moves at a painfully slow pace. Simple cue pick-ups and a deeper understanding of the text could vastly improve the energy and flow of this production

The performances by the eight-member ensemble ranged but overall were satisfactory. The enthusiasm and passion of these student actors are palpable and can be felt in their earnest portrayals. Lina Chambers as Kimberly Belflower stands out and commands the stage while delivering her character's heartfelt and disturbing monologues that, at times, resembles a softer form of Slam Poetry. Annemarie Alaniz is also outstanding in the role of Emily Brontë. Alaniz's physicality in her character's most crucial scenes is arresting and captures the audience.

Unfortunately, this first production of GONDAL misses the mark, but its fiery promise is undeniable. With the help of additional rewrites and workshops, this script has the potential to tell a fascinating, three-fold story. It is encouraging to witness new works in this early stage of development. Not every attempt will be perfect, but each is equally important to the future of theatre. This production may be one to miss right now, but a more polished version could very well receive a professional run in the future.

Gondal's final performance plays at the B. Iden Payne Theatre (300 E 23rd St, Austin, TX 78712) on March 11th at 2 pm. *contains mature themes, including depictions of violence and self-harm.

Runtime: 95 minutes, No intermission

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