By Amanda VanNostrand.
According to womenshealth.gov, one in four women in the United States experience violence from an intimate partner. Womenshealth.gov also states, “If you’ve experienced violence or abuse, it is never your fault…” yet the ways that abused women are treated by ‘justice’ systems do not always reflect this fact. Inis Nua Theatre Company is currently showing Monsay Whitney’s Box Clever at The Drake between now and February 24th. This two-woman show opens its viewers’ eyes to the realities faced by many, and does so in the prominent manner that only the most well-executed of shows can. The pristine acting and storytelling abilities on the stage give any witness to this performance a worthwhile, enlightening experience.
Box Clever tells the story of Marnie (Ruby Wolf), a single mother with a four-year-old daughter. She lives in a women’s shelter in London and is taking it one day at a time as she tries to better herself for both her own benefit and that of her daughter. Marnie narrates her past and the present as she interacts with those around her (all played by Rachel Brodeur) including her daughter, mother, case worker, and fellow women in the shelter. As her story unfolds it becomes clear that more and more is stacked against her, and as she describes the physical abuse by her ex-boyfriend and it becomes clear that sexual abuse has occurred as well, it becomes apparent that justice is not easy to come by. As a single woman with a history of drugs and a relationship with an imprisoned man (as well as the seemingly inevitable depression and anxiety that have followed), her voice is quieted and disregarded over and over again. The justice that she seeks for herself and her daughter is thrown back at her and as she looks helplessly and longingly into the eyes of the audience and wonders what to do next, the audience is likely to feel that there does not seem to be a solution that will bring justice to all. From issues such as the vermin living in the shelter (she is made to feel crazy for wanting to be rid of the mice/rats that roam the house) to the struggle of whether or not to reveal her abusive ex-boyfriend’s name to authorities (because after all, there is no chance that he will stay imprisoned forever and she knows that he will come back more aggressively than ever before if she sends him to jail now), she finds herself up against a wall each time she seeks better for herself and her daughter.
Rachel Wolf as Marnie in Inis Nua Theatre’s Box Clever. Photo by Monsay Whitney.
Difficult content is obviously accompanied by difficult parts to play, but Ruby Wolf and Rachel Brodeur nail their parts with precision. Wolf’s lines are unrelenting as she spouts dialogue as well as in-the-moment narration the entirety of the show. She does not skip a beat. Her talent is exquisite and admirable. Ruby’s emotions are strong; frustration and desperation radiate from her as she tells Marnie’s story. Brodeur’s role of ‘Autumn and others’ is challenging as well, as she runs back, forth, in, and around the set playing a vast array of parts. She switches accents, dons various props to give visual to her roles, and does it all with a seemingly effortless, natural flow. These two women are the perfect duo for Box Clever.
The wonderful acting takes place on a set that is of mention as well (scenic design by Meghan Jones). The floor is a large Snakes and Ladders board. Entirely appropriate as the audience watches Marnie rise and fall, this scenery is a backdrop that brings color and quirk to the show.
The men referenced in Box Clever experience a system that provides them more protection than the women they abuse and oppress. This story is therefore both unsettling and realistic. Though its setting is London, it makes one wonder just how far-reaching these systems go: is there anywhere in the world where a woman such as Marnie can be guaranteed justice? Box Clever is a show that can open the eyes of society and leave hope that viewers will strive for change to ensure that these obstacles are taken out of the way of women who are doing their best in a world that does not consistently hold them in the regard in which they deserve to be held. Go see this, bring a friend, and make changes that desperately need to be made.