[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Rise, written and performed by Diana Varco, directed by Meridith Grundei and produced by Jessica Lynn Johnson.
Diana Varco is a truly phenomenal storyteller. Her first show, Shattered, was the beginning of her journey as a solo performer and was an enormously impressive debut. Rise takes us deeper into a revelatory story of one person’s struggle with her history and her now.
I love solo shows. I find this art form to be one of the most intimate and electric ways to share each other’s worlds on stage. Done well, there is nothing to surpass it in my opinion. Diana Varco is an absolute master at it, and I remember her Shattered still, even though it’s been nine years since she performed it at Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest.
This new show, Rise, is set on a moon. A metaphorical moon. And the characters that populate this strange, cold place are all fractured elements of one person. A person trying their best to deal with pivotal moments and repeated traumas from their life in foster care, traumas that are now isolating them and bringing darkness to their present.
Diana is a gifted improviser and character actress, and all these skills are front and center in this truly inspired show about childhood trauma and how that shapes us all.
We meet several characters on stage, but the character of Truth is really the one that saves them all. And isn’t that real!? All these elements are pulled together, magically manipulated and formed into a wonderfully creative and entertaining show…and the whole thing unfolds in verse!!! Which I absolutely loved. It created such a beautiful and otherworldly layer to the show and, in many ways, made this difficult and sometimes troubling story easier to absorb.
Truth can be painful, difficult, not at all instantaneous, and can take years and years of work to even remember, let alone act upon. And as deep as we sometimes bury it, truth is the only answer. The only way to freedom and peace. But boy, is it hard to find sometimes. Rise is all about this struggle and the salvation the work can bring. Its darkness is skilfully interwoven with light and humor, giving it an astonishing amount of easy-to-understand relevance for every one of us. In fact, I challenge anyone to not connect in multiple ways with this ingenious and profoundly wonderful play.
Diana Varco is an incredible talent, and luckily for us, Diana is bringing her incredible show, Rise, to the Hollywood Fringe Festival!
I urge you to see this show as part of your Hollywood Fringe experience. Rise really is incredibly special and a poetic performance by a generous and heartfelt performer. Rise is what solo shows are made for.
Highly recommended!!!
Tickets:
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/14443
When:
Tuesday, June 9 at 5:30 PM
Saturday, June 13 at 6:30 PM
Sunday, June 14 at 12 PM
Where:
The Actors Company
916 N.Formosa Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046