Review: EXTREMITIES at The Weekend Theater

The Weekend Theater in Little Rock has brought their own brand of horror to the stage by presenting EXTREMITIES now through Sunday, Oct. 27. Written by William Mastrosimone and directed by Julie Atkins, this powerful play about sexual assault explores themes of trauma, justice, and empowerment. This performance is not for the weak by any means and is recommended for mature audiences.  

The plot centers on Marjorie (Patricia Loera), a young woman who is attacked in her home by a man named Raul (Josh Strickland), who tries to rape her. In a moment of desperation and quick thinking, Marjorie grabs a can of bug spray and harms Raul’s eyes, giving her time to decide what to do with him. After caging him in the fireplace, her roommate Terry (Kenzie Burks) comes home, obviously not in favor of Marjorie’s actions. Then the other roommate Patricia (Dominique Lane) comes home and tries to reason with Marjorie. Tension is high during the confrontations and decisions are made. Does Marjorie kill Raul and bury him in the backyard? Go to the play and find out—but don’t bring the children. 

Y’all! This is intense! Even though the director told us not to rush the stage to save Marjorie during the assault, I was ready to jump in and smash his head in.....ok, that may be a little too dramatic, but you get the idea. As a ‘me too’ survivor, feelings were felt that haven’t been brought up in a long time, and this is your warning that this play may possibly trigger you if you have gone through any form of physical violence. The actors are believable! 

This is my first review of Loera in a straight play, and bless her, she brought out all the feelings with this one. She started out calm, then to panic, determination, anger, and ultimately forgiveness. Whew! That was a rollercoaster of emotions she took the audience on, and I was exhausted by the time she was done.  

Now I do love a good bad guy and Strickland had me invested in his serial rapist portrayal. Seriously, I was ready to go dig the hole when Terry decided she didn’t want to do it. Up until the very end, I had no remorse for him until he finally gave in and confessed to the other crimes. When Marjorie let it go, I did too, even though I don’t think he really deserved it.  

Burks and Lane were compelling and brought depth to the emotional complexity of the play. Their ability to grapple with the difficult moral dilemmas made their characters relatable. 

According to the Director’s note, sexual assault happens every 73 seconds in the United States, and one in six women have been victims of rape or attempted rape. If you have been attacked, the Arkansas Crisis Center is here to help. Dial 988 to speak with a crisis specialist.  

Up next at The Weekend Theater is Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge in December. For more information, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theweekendtheater. 

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