The Constructivist’s fall season begins with a dystopian reality as portrayed in In the Canyon, an unnerving but occasionally humorous play by Calamity West. In her director’s notes, artistic director Jaimelyn Gray confesses that as soon as she read the script, she knew it was right for the Constructivists, a theater company known for its dark humor and bleak landscapes. After all, who else would debut with a play called, Gruesome Playground Injuries?
Well, that was seven years ago. Since then, Constructivists has existed on a shoestring budget and the hard work of its devotees. It fills a particular and often unseen niche in Milwaukee’s artistic community, one which attracts a wide range of actors. In a Constructivist production, one usually finds a mix of some just-graduated actors, to veterans with a literal lifetime of stage experiences to draw from. It can be an invigorating mix.
Such is the case one finds in In the Canyon . While the title may convey images of the Old West, most of the play has an urban setting. It opens (in 2007) in a small, rundown apartment, occupied by two female roommates. One of them, Hope (Caroline Norton), has just returned from having an abortion earlier in the day. She is having cramps from the procedure, and is tended to by her roommate (Autumn Nicole Green) and an indifferent boyfriend, Doug (AJ Magoon). Doug is basically ticked off that he has had to pay for the whole procedure, and eventually he gets Hope to Venmo him for half of the cost. Thankfully, after this scene, we’ve seen the last of Doug.
Hope is a recurring character throughout In the Canyon, which extends over a period of 60 years. Hope marries (Joe Lino play her husband) and has a daughter, Wendy (stacy madson) (sic). The federal government, which is now starting to resemble something out of George Orwell’s “1984” or the film, “A Clockwork Orange,” has been keeping track of women who’ve had abortions. Those who’ve committed such “crimes against society” have been imprisoned, or worse. (Although the modern-day parallels are obvious, no current presidential candidate is mentioned.)
The second act finds Hope in a nondescript prisoner’s uniform (costumes by Vee Delgado). She has been there for almost a decade. Hope thinks she’ll eventually get released, but finds out otherwise from a fellow inmate (Emma Romeo Moyer) who was recently captured.
The next scene switches to Hope’s grown-up daughter Wendy, who lives alone on a rural tract of family land. The eventual confrontation between Wendy and two “sheriffs” who suddenly appear at her door (Matt Specht and Joe Lino) is one of the best scenes in West’s drama. It illustrates just how far people have gone to survive in this bleak environment.
As in Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” personal travel into and out of the United States is forbidden. As the scene ends (spoiler alert), both sheriffs have been shot and Wendy must flee her land and head for the Mexican border.
Gray notes in her pre-play introduction that she has deliberately chosen an election year to produce “In the Canyon.” Her vision has been realized by a cast of eight top-notch actors, which comprises mostly local talent with a few newcomers. The production is further supported by a minimal set design (Sarah Harris), lighting (ellie (sic) and Joseph Alberth), and realistic sound effects (Martilla Marechal).
There are lessons to be learned from watching In the Canyon , and the Constructivists are to be praised for bringing this chilling (but also funny) play to life. In many ways, In the Canyon may be the most important play to see prior to November’s election.
