Review: Theatre Artists Studio Presents Karen Burns's AN OTHERWISE MAGICAL LIFE

If we measure the quality of a person's life by the paraphernalia she leaves behind, we will fail to see the essence of that life and the spirit that guides it through thick and thin. Such is the case when observing the assembled instruments ~ crutches, braces, and boots ~ of what Karen Burns describes as a "chronically debilitated" life.

In her one-woman play, AN OTHERWISE MAGICAL LIFE, the former Rockette, actress and playwright reveals that they are mere artifacts that testify to her determination ~ oftentimes strained ~ to overcome and survive the cards dealt to her. (The work, directed by Judy Rollings, runs through March 6th on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. at Theatre Artists Studio in Scottsdale, AZ.)

Burns explains that the ability to manage this struggle is, among other things, a function of spoons. Spoons equate with the amount of physical and mental energy that is required to complete a daily task or activity and to survive the pain of chronic disease. You have to take care not to use all your spoons at once! Burns has an ample supply which she discards as her narrative progresses. (Note: For anyone who wants to learn more about Christine Miserandino's Spoon Theory, follow this link: https://outline.com/F5xh5V.)

With the removal of each restrictive but assistive device, Burns opens another window into her life's struggle to overcome a seemingly endless series of ailments and abuses. She is a walking encyclopedia of her infirmities ~ reflecting attitude and a disarming sense of humor and acceptance. She lists them all on a flip chart, offering a tutorial on the damage they inflict ~ from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes her joints to dislocate, to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, which affects blood flow. Her comic sensibility compels her to play a bit with the nomenclature and alphabet soup of diseases. With a dismissive wave, she finally abandons the list, wryly observing that they are simply "inconvenient!"

The traumas that she has survived ~ rape, stalking, a near-miss at the hands of the infamous Golden Gate Killer ~ she describes with raw candor.

As unsettling as these painful recollections may be, Burns pushes against the gravity of her experience with an emotionally uplifting account of her saving graces. The life-changing introduction to dance. Performing on stage at Radio City Music Hall. A loving husband and two daughters.

Burns recounts all this with the equivalent of a Mona Lisa smile ~ a glint of knowingness and affirmation. If there is a mystery as to how someone prevails over life's trials and tribulations, Burns allows time to unravel the answer. There is the will to live that conquers the desire to surrender. It is, as she says, better to be victorious than to be a victim. She has defied her imperfections and modeled a life of affirmation.

She accentuates her victory and affirmation with graceful pas de bourrées across the stage and a stunning performance on piano of segments from Fur Elise to Billy Joel's Piano Man and Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag.

Karen Burns is a woman who has encountered "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" and chosen "to take arms against [her] sea of troubles," and, in effect, has decided resoundingly "to be." In doing so and in sharing her story, she gifts her audience with a life lesson that is encapsulated with these words: "When given a chance to dance, dance; and laugh, it can save your life."

To see AN OTHERWISE MAGICAL LIFE is thus an uplifting encounter with bravery and courage in action.

Theatre Artists Studio ~ 12406 N Paradise Village Pkwy East, Scottsdale, AZ ~ www.thestudiophx.org ~ 602-765-0120

Poster credit to Theatre Artists Studio

NOTE: Half of all proceeds will be donated to Childhelp Children's Center of Arizona. As a licensed outpatient clinic, the program provides critical therapies for children and non-offending family members who are survivors of childhood maltreatment.

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