La Jolla Playhouse: Is It Thursday Yet?
Jenn Freeman’s autobiographical dance-narrative, created in collaboration with Sonya Tayeh, is a very fine example of what theater can do in terms of engagement and immersion, and not only (or even primarily) because of its moments of audience participation. Long before she switches things up and invites us to dance while she watches, she’s drawn us into her world — into her mind, which is afflicted by Autism Spectrum Disorder; into her body, which often suffers the consequences of that disorder; into her life, which seems, happily, awash in love and understanding. (One of the show’s sweetest sequences involves her grandmother’s intuitive engagement with her “Funny Little Bird,” figuring out a way to help the future dancer move in rhythm.)
It’s not always an easy watch; much of the piece is concerned with the challenges Freeman has faced, and if we’re here to feel along with her, well... So yes, when she is overwhelmed by auditory stimuli, you are overwhelmed by auditory stimuli, and when she is exhausted, you must endure alongside her. Even a place of comfort can prove disconcerting: Freeman loves being out in nature, but the sped-up parade of clouds that represents that comfort starts scraping the retinas long before it ends. Empathy ain’t easy.
It helps that the entire piece takes place in the context of a positive event: Freeman’s revelatory diagnosis at age 33 by psychologist Kimberly Gilbert. Gilbert’s recounting of her professional observations provides the structure here, helped along by the copious video Freeman’s parents took of their daughter and a number of lo-tech props. (Even the video screens are old CRT TVs.) Freeman herself moves with fierce energy and awesome control, but it’s more arresting than aggressive. And it’s set against Tayeh’s simple and sweet sung delcarations: “You know who you are,” “You are not alone,” “Gotta find my way so I can be free.”
When
Ongoing until Sunday, August 6, 2023
Hours
| Sundays, 2pm & 7pm |
| Tuesdays, 7:30pm |
| Wednesdays, 7:30pm |
| Thursdays, 8pm |
| Fridays, 8pm |
| Saturdays, 2pm & 8pm |