Natalie Portman (Therese Adelina) and Keyonna (Breanna Michel) enact a scene from one of Portman's films. (Photo by Tabatha Mudra)
The world of make-believe beckons for many when life becomes overwhelming. Indeed, within a fantasy world, we may find comfort, encouragement, inspiration, humor, or just plain fun.
In the moving, relatable, and sweet play, "All the Natalie Portmans," the title character stands ready whenever 16-year-old Keyonna needs a respite from her hard life. In fact, that is often.
Chances are, you will find it easy to sympathize or even empathize with Keyonna and her family. An opportunity to do so exists locally, thanks to Hollywood-based Thinking Cap Theatre's (TCT) sincere and touching professional production of "All the Natalie Portmans" by C.A. Johnson.
The roughly two-hour production, which includes intermission, runs throught this weekend at The Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, TCT's home.
Under TCT Artistic Director Nicole Stodard's precise direction and smart staging, this production features a gifted cast of performers. They disappear into their characters through nuanced performances that feel fresh and free of stereotypes. Truly, these characters seem like real, flawed, recognizable, and complex people. Their pain seems raw and it is easy to pull for them.
Generally, the action unfolds seamlessly, and you become engrossed in the story. Frankly, an intermission seems unnecessary for a play that runs just about two hours.
Natalie Portman (Therese Adelina) and Keyonna (Breanna Michel) play around.(Photo by Tabatha Mudra)
TCT's cast comprises Breanna Michel as Keyonna, Logan Green as Samuel, Whitley Armstrong as Chantel, Sheena O. Murray as Ovetta, and Therese Adelina as Natalie Portman.
In "All the Natalie Portmans," 16-year-old Keyonna and her older brother, Samuel, live on the brink of eviction in Washington, D.C., while dreaming of better times in 2009. Their father died, their mother, Ovetta, is sometimes too drunk to function, and this African American family can barely afford rent. They argue, find trouble, and light does not appear to be at the end of the tunnel for them. Undoubtedly, this family needs a break and you root for them to get one.
To cope, Keyonna retreats into the worlds of film star Natalie Portman's characters. Near her bed in the apartment that Keyonna, her brother, and mother rent, the teen keeps a "dream board" featuring photos of famous actresses, including Portman. The star appears in person, ready to playact with the teen. More specifically, she assumes a character whose situation mirrors Keyonna's reality at a given time. Through playacting and sometimes just talking (or even arguing), Portman strives to help Keyonna get through each day.
Interestingly, Portman never appears when a character other than Keyonna is present. You may wonder whether other characters would be able to see her as well. Or, is she totally a figment of the teen's imagination or something else.
While Portman is prominent in this play, you do not need to be a fan of or even familiar with the star to find value in "All the Natalie Portmans." It is an empowering, layered piece about dreams, the power of art and make believe, as well as hope, the complexities of relationships, and the human spirit's resilience. Certainly, this family suffers, but they do not quit. Listen to Samuel try to encourage his sister:
We gotta do f-ked up s-t just to get through. We gotta feel f-ed-up sh-t every day. But that don't mean the sky ain't got no sun in it. Just mean we still fightin.
Although this family is struggling, they have reason to hope. In their modest apartment, designed simply and realistically by set designer Alyiece Moretto-Watkins, campaign stickers for Barack Obama grace their refrigerator.
Natalie Portman (Therese Adelina) and Keyonna (Breanna Michel) act out a scene. (Photo by Tabatha Mudra)
Speaking of Obama, his inauguration as the nation's 44th president took place on Jan. 20, 2009, the same year in which this play takes place. Certainly, electing the country's first Black president had to instill many with hope. In fact, many of us these days may pine for the early 2000s. But this play can remind us that even during happy and hopeful times, people get left behind and struggle. In fact, as you look at this family's early photos (they are smiling in them), you wish that they could return to happier times (the projection design is by TCT Managing Director Bree-Anna Obst, who also designed the effective lighting. In particular, Obst's lighting nicely differentiates realism from non-realism).
Of course, a few encouraging words from Portman can help as well.
Natalie: So maybe that's what you need right now? To fight back.
Keyonna: What am I supposed to fight with though, Nat? My fists? My empty pockets?
Natalie: With whatever. You're Keyonna. You can do anything. You know that.
As Portman, Adelina imbues the character with a fun-loving, cheerful, even child-like persona. She wins us over instantly with her youthful charm and upbeat spirit. For the most part, Portman's visits seem helpful to Keyonna. However, at other times it is not quite clear why she is there and what she is trying to accomplish with the teen.
Michel, who is making her professional stage debut as Keyonna, delivers an impressively understated and natural performance. At times, her blank expression alone conveys emotions as effectively as spoken words can. When it comes time for Keyonna to break down, Michel produces real tears and we truly sense the character's emotional pain. You want to comfort her. We feel bad for her, just as we celebrate with her when Michel's Keyonna flashes a bright smile.
As Samuel, Green's wide, dark, and expressive eyes are often enough to convey emotions and feelings such as overwhelm and anger. Green effectively portrays the protective older brother who becomes kind of a surrogate father figure for Keyonna and even his mother. Indeed, at times, the playwright reverses the roles — Samuel and even Keyonna transform into admonishing parental figures for their misbehaving drunken mother.
Murray portrays Samuel and Keyonna's mom as a woman trying to maintain some sense of normalcy and clinging to hope and her maternal role, but losing control. During the character's drunken episodes, when she stumbles convincingly, Murray's dark hair falls over her face. It is an apt symbol for a character whose life is spiraling out of control.
As Chantel, Keyonna's and Samuel's girlfriend, Armstrong creates a complex, sympathetic, and believable character who tries to be loyal while also dealing with her own self-doubt and regret.
The play's ending is not the strongest conclusion. Even so, we sense that in the end, Portman has done her duty with this family just as Mary Poppins did her best with the Banks family. Now, it is up to Keyona to take what she learned from Portman's visits (if anything) and help herself and her family as best as she can.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: "All the Natalie Portmans" by C.A. Johnson
WHEN: Through Saturday, March 30. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
WHERE: Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, 1770 Monroe St. in Hollywood.
TICKETS: $45. Free tickets for students age 13-21 by calling (954) 610-7263. For more information, go to https://thinkingcaptheatre.org.
