Christina Cranshaw, left, and Nadia DeWolf in Undermain Theatre’s ‘Athena.’ (Photos by Paul Semrad)
If you’re exhausted after watching Athena at the Undermain, it’s understandable. The actors delivered action-packed performances where they battled each other in fencing matches, running laps onstage and screaming at the top of their lungs which all drew the audience into the story. They were equally compelling in portraying the show’s drama centered on two teenage fencing athletes who embrace each other through the sport.
Gracie Gardner’s play wasn’t filled with revelation, but it is a character study 0f two young women that defied the usual traps of any coming-of-age piece. Instead, it’s more of an exploration into this friendship instigated by the statuesque and confident athlete Athena and her more plucky competitor and teammate Mary Wallace that’s filled with power-shifts, personal conflicts and competitive athleticism and spirit. The more they open up to each other and the audience, Gardner’s characters revealed inner vulnerabilities and strengths as they peeled back their self-defense mechanisms.
At the show’s opening night last Saturday, Nadia DeWolf and Christina Cranshaw gave remarkable and relentless performances onstage for 90-ish minutes with no intermission. As the experienced and winning title character, DeWolf played Athena with a swagger that was cocky and confident. In her stature alone, DeWolf exuded the power of a gifted athlete. DeWolf’s performance was a volcanic eruption countered with a sympathetic tenderness as Athena makes a rare significant connection.
Where Athena’s character has to descend, Mary Wallace’s ascended. She’s as confident and able, but also second-best to Athena. Cranshaw worked wonders with this transformation of MW from naive girl to a young woman embracing her power. Never a shrinking flower, Cranshaw was at times intense with MW’s competitive as well as visibly and believably frustrated, a tricky attribute to nail. MW had more comedic moments that contrasted Athena and Cranshaw fit that humor in with ease amidst extensive dialogue.
Athena was directed by Undermain Producing Artistic Director Bruce DuBose who fashioned the cast into warriors with the help of Silas Choi, the show’s fencing instructor and Fight Choreographer Sara J. Romersberger. All created these top-notch athletes. It’s almost hard to imagine these women not as high-level fencers. Lily Gast entered the show in the last scene as Jaime, another competitor and even in her short time delivered equally impressive moves. DuBose’s direction felt rather compassionate toward the actors. With so much to do, the cast was in complete ownership of their characters and dialogue. Even with its fast-paced energy, the characters always breathed with room to expand and contract.
Robert Winn’s stage design was minimalist giving focus to the floor that depicted the space for matches. The rest was clever screen work that either served as a scoreboard or depicted specific spaces the characters were in such as a doctor’s office or a bedroom. Lighting and sound by Steve Woods and Paul Semrad respectively expressed the show’s moods with distinct touches.
Also, if you’re needing a show that passes the Bechdel test, Undermain has you covered with this regional premiere of Athena.
The show runs through Sept. 29.
–Rich Lopez