On Clover Road

9/10

Sitting down to write a review of On Clover Road, which opened at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre this past weekend, calls to mind the odd silence that permeated the theater at curtain close, filling the space typically reserved for laughter, applause, and congratulatory celebrations at the end of any show. What is the audience supposed to think or feel after such an emotionally taxing story? What can be written that captures the impact of the script, as well as the performances, and does not reduce either to a simple series of twists and turns? For the purpose of preserving those twists and turns, along with their effect on the audience, this review will largely deal in generalities.

On Clover Road addresses heavy concepts, including the amorphous nature of truth, trauma-induced vulnerability, and the depravity of those who will always be there to prey on the vulnerable. The story is designed to make the audience uncomfortable and the setting of an isolated, rundown motel room at the end of the road amplifies the feeling. The set is bare and drab, with yellowing wallpaper peeling from the walls, a boarded window, dingy mattress, and a single chair in the center to create the ideal ambiance for the story without pulling the audience's attention from the actors. The only critique of the set lies in a missing peephole that the actors "look" through during the show, but that is admittedly nit-picky and outweighed by the interesting use of lighting and motel TVs to create depth beyond what is immediately visible to the audience.

Like the set, the costumes are subdued and work to accentuate the characters without distracting from the performances. It is clear that the power of this production belongs to the actors and the set designer and costume designer created an aesthetic that complements that power, but never tries to get in its way. Kandyce Williams is mesmerizing and heartbreaking as Kate, a desperate mother who will do anything to find her lost daughter. Kate's shame and guilt give way to flashes of anger, making the audience feel her pain and rage with every revelation.

Zed Pecunia Mercado, who is making her ART debut as "a Girl," is similarly compelling in this production. A mix of haunting, menacing, and pitiable, Ms. Mercado's performance as a broken child, subjected to the cruelties and manipulations of adults, draws the audience in from the moment she enters the stage.

Brad Hicks is chilling as Harris McClain, the charismatic cult leader at the center of Kate's anguish, creating a monster out of the mundane. Mr. Hicks's performance is unsettling to watch, as the mask slips and the depths of Harris emerge, while Jeff Nowlin, playing a cult exit counselor named Stine, keeps the action shrouded in mystery and confusion.

Together, the performances created an incredible production of an already interesting story. On Clover Road is playing at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre through September 21st. Tickets can be purchased at acrosstown.org.