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Solid cast shines in Black Box Theatre’s ‘Bosoms and Neglect’

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Black Box Theatre’s production of “Bosoms and Neglect” reminded me of a Russian nesting doll. It continues to open itself until, at the end, you have this beautiful and fragile moment that captures the entire essence of the play very powerfully and intimately.

That moment belongs to Jamie Bronstein, giving the acting performance of her life as “Henny,” the blind and aging widow with cancer, a decade or more of suicide attempts and a son she is trying to understand and make peace with.

Playing a blind character has to be difficult enough but delivering a deeply moving monologue in the play’s final scene is made even more challenging because Bronstein is confined to a bed throughout. There are no props, no music, no tricks of the light – just Bronstein telling Hetty’s story of suffering and survival, of struggle and denial, of bosoms and neglect. It was riveting, and I will remember it as one of my favorite scenes of all times.

And that takes nothing away from Bronstein’s co-stars in this production: Bobby Senecal as Hetty’s son, tragically nicknamed “Scooper,” and Avra Elliott, playing Deidra, the woman he meets in their psychiatrist’s waiting room. They were both terrific as two damaged people who have perfected their skills of making themselves and each other miserable. Thanks to their brief but violent encounter, they both wind up in the same hospital as Hetty.

Senecal’s Scooper starts his visits to the unseen psychologist, Dr. James, because he is too happy. He’s having an affair with a married woman, and also has history with her husband. Scooper has been seeing James three times a week for six years at $150 an hour.

But Elliott’s Deidra can top all that: She has been going five times a week for eight years but only pays $140 an hour. Deidra claims to be an orphan who turned her father in for selling drugs, and a nun who kicked the habit. She wears a wedding ring even though she’s never been married. The only thing Scooper and Deidra seem to have in common is their love for books.

Bravo and kudos to Bronstein, Senecal and Elliott, and to director Monte H. Wright, for a production that finds the funny moments that highlight this dark comedy, but also finds its heart and delivers it like the blow of a hammer.

“Bosoms and Neglect” was written by John Guare, whose other plays include “House of Blue Leaves” and “Six Degrees of Separation.”

My advice: Go see this play.

Remaining performances of “Bosoms and Neglect” are at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, March 13-14 and 20-21; 2:30 p.m. on Sundays, March 15 and 22 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. Tickets are $12-$15 for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances and $10 for the Thursday, March 19, performance only.

Black Box Theatre is located at 430 N. Main St. downtown.

For tickets and more information, call 575-523-1223 and visit http://no-strings.org/.


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