By Colton Wolf
“When a nation cannot grieve its dead, it turns inward on itself.”
Occupation, written by Merri Biechler and directed by Ren – Rachel Evans Nead, takes place in a martial law-declared nation where the men have gone to war, and the women are left to work. Five women tell their stories of grief, loss, and purpose.
A Pointed Aesthetic
Configured in a thrust stage, the playing area is sectioned into three spaces: a quarry or construction site, an Americana-themed throne, and the last, a tranquil garden. These spaces are where three women, Tattoo Mother (Jada Gee), Patriot Mother (Kayleigh Gleeson), and Garden Mother (Racheal Tingley) continually work throughout the duration of the play. While Occupation never declares a setting, scenic and costuming choices clearly set this production in a yet-to-be-seen America, through various scenic notions like American flags. Costume design (Maura Kesterson) includes a bedazzled pink American flag hat to show Patriot Mother’s pride.
An Unorthodox & Fractured Narrative Structure
The narrative structure of the play is fractured. Each woman lives in separation and tells her story largely in monologues. This structure builds over the course of the play like a mosaic, until each woman’s story interlocks; the connective tissue between these stories is Delivery Daughter (Sarah Rowell) and Tap Dance Daughter (Katie Baldwin), who only really know the aftermath of the authoritarian takeover.
Standout Performances
The ensemble takes ninety minutes (of what is largely monologues) and makes it fly by. There is no beat left untaken nor syllable unfelt. Jada Gee as Tattoo Mother is unyielding: radiating a sense of duty to her fellow woman, and especially her daughter. Kayleigh Gleeson as Patriot Mother is both zealous and crass, holy and excessive — made clear by Gleeson’s delivery. Lastly, Racheal Tingley’s Garden Mother serves as a utopic undertaker, though Tingley infuses her with warmth and care.
Final Thoughts
Occupation is a dystopic play whose text is the lead actor. In Biechler’s darkened America, where our children commit acts of terrorism to feel a sense of hope for a better future, how can we “light the torch[es]” to a brighter path for our daughters? That is the central message of Occupation.
The UTOPIA Festival
Produced by Magnolia Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Gina Handy Minyard and in collaboration with local theatre companies: Dayton Playhouse, TheatreLab Dayton, and Dayton Theatre Guild, performed at the University of Dayton; the UTOPIA Festival aims to engage emerging artists from the Dayton area to promote a stronger resident artist culture in Dayton, and provide more opportunities for equity and representation in the Dayton theatre community. This production of Occupation is a partnership with Dayton Theatre Guild.
Occupation is the concluding performance of the UTOPIA Theatre Festival, occuring on Sunday, September 13th at 2:00pm in the University of Dayton’s Black Box Theatre.
I highly enjoyed the UTOPIA Theatre Festival and wish for its return next year.
You can learn more about the UTOPIA Theatre Festival here: https://magnoliatheatrecompany.com/current-production/utopia-an-mtc-festival/
