
[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of “Anna,” written by Nick Freedson, starring Laura Walker, and directed by Kelly DeSarla at Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest, 2023.
“Anna” is a play about breaking apart. The subject, Anna, is a wife and a mother and she documents her breaking in a series of video diary entries. A good friend suggested she try this technique after many mental health setbacks in her life and a very real tendency toward lighting fires. The story is told with a mixture of those video diaries and in real time and in memories. It sounds a little confusing…but it actually isn’t at all. In fact, the way the story unfolds feels natural and thoughtful, and very real. When we talk about our lives, or ourselves, it is often disjointed and unkempt isn’t it? We rarely move in lateral lines and our memories are messy.
“Anna” is a very intimate conversation with a troubled lost woman in tremendous pain and not really understanding why. It’s as if her entire life was leading up to a profound tragedy, the loss of her beloved son, and it is that loss that facilitates her madness…long before it ever happened.
Nick Freedson’s writing of this deeply moving and heartrending story is utterly beautiful in a poetic, funny, serious, and at times difficult-to-watch way. But he holds onto the difficult only for the briefest of moments. There’s enough humor and space in the play to make the darkness more than bearable.



Perhaps that is how Anna copes with everything. After all, with enough space in between we can cope with much more than we could ever imagine. The story is brought to life by the wonderful and riveting performance of Laura Walker. What an incredible actor she is. To hold this story in her head and her heart and to unfold it in such a funny, moving and totally human way…she really is absolutely brilliant as Anna.
The play is subtly directed, crafted firmly, sweetly and lovingly by Kelly DeSarla. There’s a truly deep understanding of the tragedy of Anna’s life and a profound sense of mercy throughout this piece. You know when they say don’t judge someone, everyone has pain and you never know what people are going through, especially when they are being angry or difficult or obnoxious. Well, this play feels like a direct answer to that. Anna’s pain is her torment and, by the end of the play, we have a truly tender understanding of it and of her.
“Anna” is a wonderful moving portrait of a flawed and broken human being…but there is hope in it and love and a path to healing. I absolutely loved it!
You can find the “Anna” streaming on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/annaplay
I have hopes that it will play live again soon!!