Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Quick Hit Off-Broadway Theater Review: Shida

Jeannette-Bayardelle. Photo: Walter-McBride
Shida 
Book, music and lyrics by Jeannette Bayardelle
Directed by Andy Sandberg
Ars Nova

What’s It All About? 
Based on the experience of Bayardelle’s childhood friend,  it’s the world premiere of a one-woman operetta featuring 20 musical numbers mixing soulful rock, jazz, R and B and gospel music all written by the performer, who plays all of the parts.

Shida (pronounced Sheeda – short for Rashinda), is a perky, innocent, brilliant 4th grader full of excitement about having the opportunity to go to a Catholic school in the Bronx and to learn so she can be a writer. Forced to work long hours to provide for herself and Shida when the girl’s married father refuses to care for them, Shida’s mother gives her some heirloom bracelets to show her daughter how proud she is of her of her achievement.

Shida loves school. She meets her best friend, Jackie (this was the real Bayardelle), and a teacher who recognizes her talent as a writer. Her world s shattered, however, when her mother’s lover, “Uncle Steve,” rapes her and begins years of sexual abuse. She hides her shameful secret, but starts to have trouble in school and frustrates Jackie with her willingness to entertain boys.

Still driven by her desire to write, Shida makes it to college, but her mother’s death and the guilt she feels after an abortion lead her into a world of drugs to escape. She rages against the god who allowed her to be abused and who allowed her mother to become ill.

What are the highlights?
What a compelling 70 minutes. We live the ups and down’s of Shida’s whole life in that short period with a skilled actress (she played Celie in The Color Purple on Broadway) and really good music. It’s a tour de force for this talented actress and a gut-wrenching, compelling story. I won’t reveal spoilers, but don’t avoid this because of the sad subject matter. Shida’s spirit triumphs in the end.

What are the Lowlights:
It’s hard to sit through because your heart just breaks for this girl (especially if you are a mom), but worth it.

Other Information:
Shida is presented as an Ars Nova Summer Fling at 511 W. 54 St., NYC. It runs through Aug. 28.

Christians might also like to know:
-- Drug Use
-- Sexual content
-- Homosexuality
-- Abortion

No comments:

Gracewell Prodiuctions

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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