It’s no secret that in our culture thinness is a social and cultural ideal and that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to negative feelings regarding their inability to meet unrealistic physical standards.
Reflections takes on the problem with a cast of seven attractive young people in a variety of skits that guide the audience (mostly teens during the opening night performance) through the problem by voicing those who chase the ideal with unhealthy eating patterns — “disordered eating” — which can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, dieting, over-exercising and the like.
In a supporting skit, a sales pitch for a fictional diet aid, “Wasting Away the American Way” (subtext “You are fat”) was followed by a projection of a series of images of tormented teens, one crouched over a toilet vomiting, another with tape over her mouth, some with tears rolling down their cheeks, and superimposed slogans such as “If I can’t be beautiful, I want to be invisible.”
When the actors return, they take on the personas of those with eating disorders:
“I hate my body.”
“I stick my finger down my throat.”
“I never learned to express anger.”
“I hate being touched.”
Gradually, in a series of vignettes, we come to focus on Jess, a very pretty blonde girl, who has a serious problem and begins to understand that she needs help. In a dream sequence, she finally realizes, “It is my choice [to be a disordered eater]. I’m scared … I don’t want to play this game any more.” Upon waking, she makes a call. “I think I need help.”
Eventually, the entire cast seems to get therapy. They talk about it “Healing isn’t easy.”
“Recovery takes a long time.”
“Feelings aren’t good or bad.”
Etc.
During their last moments onstage, the cast holds hands at the front of the stage and lauds the virtues of self-acceptance, concluding, “Recovery is possible.”
Director Elizabeth Burstein has a history with Reflections. After the show she told me that 25 years ago, she portrayed Jess in the original production, which apparently still regularly appears in high school settings. It seems a bit odd for Reflections to be included in the Fringe. But if you’re an adolescent with an eating disorder, give it a try.
REFLECTIONS by The Freedom Ensemble (Cincinnati) will be performed 4:15 p.m. May 31, 7:30 p.m. June 2, 8:30 p.m. June 4 and 7:15 p.m. June 6 at Elementz (1100 Race St., Over-the-Rhine).
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2014.