Review: ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE at Blindspot Collective

It’s easy to think of San Diego as a paradise, but that’s not always the case for those who live here or are struggling to find a place to call their own.  Blindspot Collective brings “Another Day in Paradise,”  a new play with music that highlights the lives and challenges of the unhoused community through the true stories of people around San Diego.  “Another Day in Paradise” by Blindspot Collective is playing at the Coronado Playhouse through November 24th.

This new work offers a 100-minute one-act that introduces audiences to the myriad of people and circumstances that have led them to find a home on the street. Blindspot Collective is dedicated to amplifying stories of marginalized voices and creating programming that advocates, educates, and entertains.  Blake McCarty, the executive artistic director of Blindspot Collective and producing artist Shellina Heffner, interviewed 100 homeless San Diegans of varying ages and backgrounds to create this documentary-style play and worked with composer Taylor Lehmkuhl to create the rock-inspired score that accompanies it.

A cast of nine performers bring the characters to life, including Jasper Capalad, Cole Chinn, Josalyn Elisabeth, Tash Gomez, Josiah Lopez, Aiden Meyndert, Nathan Nonhof, Velvet Teresa Salgado, and Dacara Seward.  Each plays multiple characters based on the people they met during the interviews, and they address the audience through dialogue to tell their stories. It explores the hopes, love, pain, and resilience that have brought everyone to this point. 

Usually, in small groups, characters give voice to their circumstances.  There are main common themes, including trauma, addiction, abuse, the military, and people coming from both within the US and internationally to find a new beginning. There are also plenty of experiences where the systems in place have failed them - from the foster system to people working in shelters abusing their power for personal gain; there are more dangers they are exposed to than just the elements.

“Sometimes being g homeless is preferable to the hell that is your home.”

While all stories are moving, a few standouts that I would have loved to see more of include Evangeline (Dacara Seward) as a Filipina widow who was dropped off at a shelter by her daughter, a young immigrant mother named Maria (Tash Gomez) and her newborn, Jim (Josiah Lopez), an Air Force Veteran, and Nathan Nonhoff in two roles as Kian and Moses, both of whom find harassment and racism from police impeding their ability to feel safe.

Directed by McCarty, the play treats all the people and stories portrayed with empathy and dignity while allowing them to express their sadness, rage, confusion, and how their journey has led them here. This direction also gives the audience empathy that the themes and concerns may be more uncomfortable to sit with after the show is over.

The music composed and conducted by Taylor Lehmkuhl offers a rock n roll and energetic counterpoint for telling these stories.  The musicians tucked into a corner on stage include Steve Jilka on bass, Mike Reyes and Julian Straus on guitar, and Chris Reyes on drums. The sound design by Cole Atencio finds a nice balance between the spoken and sung in the small space, and the scenic design by Kyle Waterman creates a good atmosphere while allowing for room for movement and character changes.

This play deals with multiple mature themes and may not be suitable for all ages, but it offers much to consider. It is entertaining and educational performance art, asking audiences to think about their world and those who are so often ignored and made to feel invisible.

As effective as the show is, it could use some editing for run time and a few more characters for additional clarity. There are many characters and plot lines, and streamlining could make keeping people’s stories straight a bit easier since there are some repeating factors.  

In their commitment to changing hearts and minds through art and action, along with this show, Blindspot Collective also presents an opportunity to donate canned/non-perishable food and new or gently used backpacks and blankets.  If you donate at the theatre, you can get $10 off your ticket if you purchase it at the door. 

How To Get Tickets

“Another Day in Paradise” by Blindspot Collective is playing at the Coronado Playhouse through November 24th.

 

Photo Credit: A scene from Blindspot Collective’s “Another Day in Paradise.” (Blindspot Collective)

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