It’s hard to discuss Linnea Bond’s play Heard without including spoilers, which would surely diminish the experience for other audiences in the Fringe; yet there’s still a lot to talk about without revealing too much. As the story begins we meet Esther (excellently portrayed by Kaleigh-Brooke Dillingham), get a glimpse of her religious, judgmental mother and see some of her friends. But we slowly suspect something is wrong, and the play sort of sneaks up on you. We learn that Esther sometimes hears voices and … well, you’ll just have to see it to find out what happens from there.
There are fine performances throughout, and director Lindsey Augusta Mercer does a great job in building tension with deliberate changes in pace. The scene between Dillingham and Tracy Schoster as her psychiatrist was a standout, as were scenes with Cal Harris (a neighbor and hopeful boyfriend) and Mia Vera, who showed exceptional range within the play. The script does the same thing in these scenes, but in different ways, setting us up to believe one thing about Esther, but going on to reveal another. The effect deliberately leaves us uneasy; it was beautifully accomplished.
The venue itself was interesting, in the sanctuary of First Lutheran church on Race Street in Over-the-Rhine. On one hand, the acoustics seemed problematic at first. But as the play progressed, the hollow, echoic nature of the room became very atmospheric and was completely consistent with the play’s themes. The show uses an extremely effective sound design by Mercer and Jared Hudson, augmented by physical and vocal sounds from the offstage actors, providing some of the show’s most effective moments.
There were moments when the play seemed to be trying to do too much, addressing such varied themes as mental illness, child abuse and sexual identity issues in an hour. Yet this was the quintessential Fringe play, full of big ideas, creative direction and strong acting in an unusual space. Ultimately, this production made us care about Esther and, by extension, those themes. It’s well worth seeing.
Ed Cohen is a freelance director, with much of his recent work with CCM, NKU and small professional theatres around town. In his parallel life, his is a trial attorney in downtown Cincinnati.
Read the official 32-page FRINGE FESTIVAL GUIDE here and find the full performance lineup here.
This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2015.