By Amanda VanNostrand.
Attending theatrical productions often takes an audience to another time and place. Boycott Esther, however, is likely to simply push you further into realities occurring in the here and now. Currently showing at Proscenium Theatre at The Drake until May 19th, this show that takes place in New York, 2016 through today, is here in Philadelphia to entertain and provoke thought and important conversations through and between its audience members.
Playwright Emily Acker, who once worked for The Weinstein Company, wrote Boycott Esther during the time that the well-known Weinstein misconduct scandals became public news. The hard work that she had done on a show promised to be put forth through the company seemed to be in vain, as it would clearly not be moved forward to production. In her state of disappointment and struggle with her feelings of solidarity with the women of the #MeToo movement and her desire for her show to continue on, she wrote Boycott Esther, a show that mirrors some of her experiences.
As such, Boycott Esther is the story of Esther, a 20-something Online Influencer. When Barry Bloom’s company notices her clever, sarcastic tweets and she is pursued to create a show, Esther must come to grips with the disappointment of losing high hopes of stardom as she grapples with allegations of Barry Bloom’s sexual misconduct. When Bloom reaches out to Esther for a meeting to discuss his career and the possibility of recovering his reputation, his comment to Esther – “I’m a victim of a system…” prompts empathy from within her. In her desperation to remain relevant (online), she writes a well-intentioned yet strikingly insensitive letter that disregards victims of sexual abuse while validating the actions of the men at fault. Esther must deal with the ramifications of her impassioned letter, learning just how much power her words have.
Alexandra Espinoza (Mary) and Alison Ormsby (Esther) inAzuka Theatre’s production of Boycott Esther. Photo by
Johanna Austin/AustinArt.org
Boycott Esther is a unique show, as many of the interactions take place in various means that are not typically face-to-face. The production therefore takes place both on stage and on screen. As Esther scrolls through her phone or Skypes with her parents, her screens are reflected behind her. As article upon article pops up and headlines present themselves to reflect the passage of time, the audience may be frazzled by the overstimulation that is appropriately symbolic of the feedback any one person may experience in a day as they scroll life away. (Scenic & Video Design by Jorge Cousineau.)
Alison Ormsby, a recent graduate from the University of the Arts, plays the part of Esther and she does a terrific job in this role. The show goes on for 90 minutes with no intermission, and Ormsby is a consistently strong presence on the stage. Alexandra Espinoza plays the part of Mary, an employee of Barry Bloom’s, and Stephen Rishard plays Barry Bloom himself. All actresses and actors in this show are excellent! (Including the parts of Ormsby’s parents via Skype – they are hilarious and likely to be relatable by every millennial who makes the wise decision to see this!)
Boycott Esther examines issue after issue present in this time and place: the consequences of impassioned online responses; Dad’s wise words – “…not enough women ask for what they deserve…”; the harm in sympathizing with (and/or excusing) the behavior of abusers; and the means one will go to in order to get what she or he wants, or to avoid disappointment. Witty and uniquely presented, Boycott Esther is a show worth seeing.
* Tickets are pay what you wish AFTER every performance! *