Review: PIECES at Theatre Harrisburg

Local playwright Paul Hood and director Francesca Amendolia bring the thought-provoking, slice of life drama Pieces to the Theatre Harrisburg stage through February 19th. Pieces is the story of a man, Phil Blakeny, and his struggle to hang on to the American dream as it falls apart around him. The show takes the audience on a journey that spans real life, Phil's dreamworld, and a fragmented reality.

The incredible set and lighting are creatively designed to emphasize the themes of the show and to give the audience clues about whether the scene is depicting reality or not. The costumes suit each character beautifully and show careful attention to detail, including showing that Phil literally is trying to fill his father, Graham Blakeny's shoes.

Diego Sandino and Gerren Wagner take on the roles of Delphy Wintor and Hota Pasquale, friends of the Blakeny family. John "Chick" Lee, Andrew "Sarge" Dixon, Dana Kinsey, and Mia Thornton portray the Blakeny family-Graham, Phil, Kes, and Elé. Sandino, who plays Delphy, Phil's friend who becomes involved with Kes, has tremendous presence that heightens the energy of his scenes. Wagner's comedic timing and skill at delivering her lines with just the right amount of sarcasm and wit makes her performance as Hota delightful to watch.

Dixon gives a solid and nuanced performance as Phil, expressing deep emotion through his voice. Lee is poised and suave in his portrayal of Graham, Phil's father and the founder of the furniture store The Dream. Dixon and Lee interact beautifully in the dream sequences. Kinsey displays Kes's feelings of fear, loneliness, and disillusionment well, while also highlighting her exacting standards and selfishness. Thornton gives one of the best performances of the evening as Kes and Phil's daughter Elé. She has wonderful stage presence, and her posture, gestures, and facial expressions are perfectly crafted to play the college student who is worried about her parents. She subtly adjusts each of these elements to show that her character has aged later on in the play.

The scene changes are executed by a dynamic trio of actors-Daniel Hutchins (Daniel), Adelyn Heck (Adelyn), and Tessa Eberlein (Fenton)-who, rather than changing the scenes in a blackout as surreptitiously as possible, take on the roles of furniture store workers moving merchandise. They exist in the space in between each scene, bringing both humor and realism to the production. Their ad-libbed lines are ingenious, making their performances this reviewer's favorite part of the show.

Pieces is a show that requires the viewer to confront hard truths about life, and it does so through a creative exploration of a very relatable situation interspersed with humor-just like real life. As playwright Paul Hood writes in his note, "It is the journey I wanted to take audiences on, a mind trip to make people think and leave wondering about their lives and the lives of those closest to them." For tickets, visit https://theatreharrisburg.com/shows/pieces/.

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