Theatre Review: sandblasted Is Hilariously Poignant At Vineyard
We live in a prejudiced world. One that will pluck any excuse to tell you why everyone should own you, except for yourself. Unfortunately, the more boxes you check, the more prejudice you will face, and the more you will have to fight to feel like you are in control of YOU. In sandblasted, playing at the Vineyard Theatre and directed by Summer L. Williams, two black women are, literally, falling apart and wondering how much of their inner pain is causing their outer dilapidation.
In a time where mental health is more discussed, sometimes, I feel like I hear the same thing. There is no nuance or newness; just the same “wellness” comment regurgitated to me as if to say, “If you ACT like you are okay…. soon you will be GREAT!” Yet, that is not so easy when you have a system build against you, and THEN if it is built against you in multiple ways like, because you are poor, a woman, black, and any other racial, ethnic, sexuality, disability, or religious group you check knowing that, though it may be your community, it is also the reason you are deemed a “threat” to be threatened. That is a HEAVY thought to carry because, for however much you think about it, it just is, and Charly Evon Simpson’s writing details a truth that can feel so tragically basic. For Brittany Bellizeare’s Angela and Marinda Anderson’s Odessa, they can’t stop thinking about how much they have faced and will, which means being present is…..not possible.
When we meet Anderson’s Odessa and Bellizeare’s Angela, they are on the HUNT for a cure to why their limbs are falling off and are hoping Adah (Rolonda Watts) , has the cure. After all she, is SOLID; not even a hair is falling off of her to the shock of many black women trying to figure out what is her secret. After all, she has felt pain. Watts is phenomenal and has a great moment of describing her losses, the wisdom she gain from them, and the simple fact that, either way, you have to keep going. Wisdom is what you gain to help heal the loss, but nothing can stop it. The vibrant dynamics between Adah, Odessa, and Angela are so enriching because all three feel so warm and wounded. Anderson is hilarious and vibrant as Odessa. She is powerful, present, and frightened that such things mean nothing when you are a black woman, especially for your mental health. Meanwhile, Bellizeare is sunshine on that stage. She feels so kind and welcoming, which is why I was like, “STOP FALLING APART!” In some ways, that was the right reaction.
In a world, that will invalidate you more than support you, why do we help it tear us down? We know it hurts us. We write op-eds on its cruelty, but, in joining in on it cruelty towards us, do we really not manifest it unto others or participate in our own falling apart. These are the questions you ask when you are oppressed, and feel inescapable when you are oppressed in various ways like your economy, skin, health, and gender such as, a black woman. Each character, including Andy Lucien’s Jamal is hesitant to be warm and hold the other. They meet each other’s walls before they meet each other, which made me wonder if “shutting down” truly is safe, especially after seeing Angela and Odessa’s sparkling friendship. While the 90 minute play ends with a glimmer of hope, ultimately, its message is clear: heal yourselves because in the same way you do not deserve your wounds, you always deserve your healing. Buy Tickets Here. Playing Until March 13 at Vineyard Theater.
