Information, reviews, and miscellaneous shorts focusing on professional, nonprofit theater—from a Southeast Minnesota perspective.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Divorce Revolution

By Alison DeNio; directed by David Coral
Presented at Valencia’s Academy Theatre, Winona, MN

The Divorce Revolution played to a small but enthusiastic audience in the black box space at Valencia Academy last night. The play has several objectives. One of them is to increase people’s awareness that there are possibilities of life after divorce—to rewrite the narrative about divorce, as DeNio writes—not just for the adults, but for the Children involved as well. Another objective is to present a strong, work of theater. And this play meets both of these objectives.


DeNio, left, and Hamilton during a rehearsal for Divorce Revolution.

The finely-written and inventive script provides a nested narrative that is able to tell a complex story in a short space, using an honesty that allows the audience to see both the humor and the possible tragedy in the all-too-human failings in marriage and in separation.

The story is a fictionalized telling of the marriage and divorce of DeNio and her parenting partner Wes Hamilton. Hamilton was involved in the writing and production and plays himself across from DeNio. While a good number of the audience members know DeNio and Hamilton, I’m convinced that this play will hold up nicely as a play as it moves on to locations beyond Winona.

Along with DeNio’s script, the production benefits from a number of talented managers and designers, headed by director David Coral. Coral just finished his second season with GRSF and a prominent role in the Commonweal’s Ibsen offering, Enemy of the People this past spring.

Tonight is the last scheduled performance in Winona, and while the play is likely to see more productions here later on, I highly recommend seeing this one tonight if you can.

For more information onThe Divorce Revolution, visit www.divorce-revolution.com/.
The Divorce Revolution plays Saturday, August 6, 2011 at Valencia Academy, Winona, MN, 7:00 p.m.
It runs 1 hour, with a panel discussion after a short intermission.

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