[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of A Rose Called Candace, written and performed by Candace Nicholas-Lippman. The Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles.
Candace Nicholas-Lippman’s solo play, A Rose Called Candace, is an epic, moving, inspiring cinematic ode to survival, grace and exhilarating ambition. Candace is a shining exemplar of how living as an artist in spite of what the universe throws at you, or perhaps because of it, is truly a road to freedom.
This actress has a story to tell – hers. But this play takes on much more than her own personal journey. As she unfolds her life experience, almost magically you can sense that every single person in the theatre connects in some way to some aspect of this beautifully written and gorgeously performed play. That’s a very difficult thing to pull off. I’ve seen literally hundreds of solo plays, some good, some wonderful, all striving to bridge that great divide between the artist and the audience. A play can be entertaining. It can be informative, moving, and powerful but it’s a rare thing indeed to reach into every heart in the room and to change them. A Rose Called Candace does exactly that.
I could feel that connection happening as Candace shared her struggles, her victories and her defeats. She had a tough life. Her mother suffered from mental struggles, so much so that Candace had to take over her role. She looked after her siblings, mothered them, fed them, bathed them, taught them as best she could all the while yearning for a bigger life. As I looked around the audience I could see faces lighting up, tearing up, understanding and becoming totally captivated by this story and this brilliant, gifted actress.
A Rose Called Candace is a template for any one of us to use in our own lives. She has created an ethos for artists to follow, and I believe that all of us are artists in our hearts. Her strength to find her own path in life is truly astonishing.
Through spoken word poetry, through acting and performing and an almost unshakable belief that the world had something more planned for Candace Nicholas-Lippman, she has made her life what she dreamed it could be. She has become a working actress on TV and in film and theatre. She has worked hard to be who she is and now she shares that with us in this genius play.
It takes courage to become something other than what society and family and disadvantage hold you to. It takes vision and determination and brilliance. Candace has all of these things and more.
She strides across the stage, commanding all our attention. As she breaks our hearts with her history she also blows our minds with her words. This play is so beautifully written, so perfectly assembled that it almost defies explanation.
Suffice it to say that I have been reviewing theatre for a very long time and every now and then I see someone so gifted and determined and wonderful that it takes my breath away.
Candace Nicholas-Lippman is truly breathtaking. She performs this incredible show regularly and you can check out her website to find her. You must!! I know I will be making sure I see her again whenever she is back in town and encouraging everyone I know, including my two adult offspring to have their lives changed for the better by A Rose Called Candace.