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Kingdom Come at Dramashop
Dramedy proves you can fake it until you make it in love
June 7, 2023 at 1:00 PM
Contributed photo
An imaginatively comedic play about romance and honesty in the modern age, Kingdom Come at Dramashop brings the Jenny Rachel Weiner play to life using projections and magical realism.
PREMIERING FRIDAY, JUN. 9
An interesting thing happens when many of us write our dating app profiles: that one kayaking excursion you took last summer turns into a full-blown kayaking hobby, the ability to make Easy Mac turns into a "love of cooking," and 5'10" turns into six feet.
What about when two people take that exaggeration to a whole new level — inventing, as it were, completely different identities — but then they fall in love?
This is the general premise of Dramashop's next production Kingdom Come by playwright Jenny Rachel Weiner, which follows two thirty-something women as they catfish each other — but wind up truly connecting.
Under the direction of Anna McJunkin, also the artistic director of Dramashop, the play will run every remaining Friday and Saturday this month. "Despite what may sound like heavy or sappy subject matter, this play is funny," McJunkin stressed. "The cast is still finding new ways to make me laugh at every rehearsal."
That serious-but-not-too-seriousness comes in the form of the two main characters: Layne, who is a terrified, neurotic mess; and Samantha, who is morbidly obese and bedridden. "Samantha is not a perfect person, but she is deeply human… I feel really passionate about doing works onstage that reflect the full spectrum of our wonderfully varied and diverse community," McJunkin said. "Samantha deserves to have her love story told."
The play's staging was an initial challenge — portraying two people in different locations who are staring intently at their computers for extended conversations. "We've decided to take it in the direction of magical realism," McJunkin said. "We're making use of projections to add an immersive atmosphere and visual layer that, to me, will be much more interesting."
Come downtown to Dramashop in June and get a little bit more connected — whether it's to the play and its actors or that new date you met on Bumble.
Fridays and Saturdays through Jun. 25 // 8 p.m. // Dramashop, 1001 State St., Suite 210 // $15 with half price tickets during opening weekend // More info: dramashop.org