Life inside a Mirror by Kim Snyder
"Life as a Pomegranate"
Written and performed by Dawna Wightman
There is that moment in theater that speaks to you grabs hold of your heart and walks right into your world! I recently saw "Life as a Pomegranate" performed and written by Dawna Wightman at the Producers Club, in Manhattan, New York. Her performance on a bare stage, with a lamp and ladder not only captured my attention but reminded me what art is all about. Joseph Campbell said “Art is the song of life”, Dawna Wightman is singing tonight.
Her characters are rich and full of human flaws that transcend us subliminally. She speaks through a lens revealing human complexities in an unforgiving world. Her “Flap” that she introduces at the top of the play is the window to the vulnerabilities we all carry. I was glued to my seat for the full hour, witnessing the beautiful exploration of her characters. Rozyee (Rosy) Fudge, actress, devoted mother/wife/daughter struggles to find her way in a world that is too quick to judge. The plays dialogue moves back and forth through a lifetime of memories in a series of vignettes that reveal the paradigms of her character. Her daunting inner voice reaches into her embodiment of insecurities to manipulate and pierce an ego that is already too fragile. Wightman’s costume comes right out of a child’s story book with layers of white and funny cut out pockets her hair is braided and messy, like a child trapped inside the adult.
Her mother, a chain-smoking, emotionally hungry, transfixed rope around her neck, is a constant reminder that her liberty is not her own. Rozyee’s husband Arthur and their three children provide a safe and uneventful haven for her stifled ambitions. Arthur’s co-worker Sutton, detached, privileged and condescending, is the woman you love to hate.
The writing was exceptional, and a symbiotic connection between the actor and director reveals itself in every moment. Ginette Mohr who directs "My Life as a Pomegranate" understands the material. Her direction has an eye that allows the work to come from within, while guiding transitions that enable Dawna to shine.
Dawna Wightman is a beautiful actress who opens up like a flower allowing the elements of the human condition to reveal itself. She reminds me of why I became an actor. The depth, the detail, the personalization, the relationships she weaves brought me not only into her world, but mine. She has created magic... Everyone needs to see this if you are anything in the arts. BRAVO!!
Kim Snyder, AEA/AFTRA/SAG, has been an actress/producer/writer for over 20 years doing film, TV, commercials, and VO. She has done numerous off-off-Broadway shows and studied with Sandy Meisner and Phil Gushee at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. She is affiliated with AMERINDA, INC, American Indian Community House (AICH) and an active member of the Native American (Oglala, Sioux) theater community. She has written articles for “Talking Stick” and various other publications.
