Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
Actor Adds Honesty to Vixen Reindeer Role
I must respectfully disagree with Mary Burruss' review of Lauren Marinelli White's performance in "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues" ("Reindeer Games," Arts & Culture, Nov. 28). Burruss mentioned that White "flattens the show's ending" with her lack of a clear character choice.
I felt as if she did make a clear character choice, although it was not to one extreme like the others in the show. White stayed true to her character, and I personally felt an emotional connection as someone who has conflicting emotions about being raped by such an important figure and what that means. One might argue that as an actor, White made the more difficult choice of not sticking to one extreme but taking on a fully developed character that has conflicting emotions. White did a wonderful job exposing each layer to the audience.
White's choice served the ending and brought a conclusion that is not what we were expecting, but challenged our own perceptions of victims of sexual crimes and the internal struggle that they go through. While not being overly sad, the audience walks away with a clear way of knowing how she feels at each line in her monologue. White's performance in Richmond Triangle Players' "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues" should be commended for its honesty and for a strong character choice, a non-extreme one.
Justin Lowenhagen
Richmond
Click here for more Forum
I felt as if she did make a clear character choice, although it was not to one extreme like the others in the show. White stayed true to her character, and I personally felt an emotional connection as someone who has conflicting emotions about being raped by such an important figure and what that means. One might argue that as an actor, White made the more difficult choice of not sticking to one extreme but taking on a fully developed character that has conflicting emotions. White did a wonderful job exposing each layer to the audience.
White's choice served the ending and brought a conclusion that is not what we were expecting, but challenged our own perceptions of victims of sexual crimes and the internal struggle that they go through. While not being overly sad, the audience walks away with a clear way of knowing how she feels at each line in her monologue. White's performance in Richmond Triangle Players' "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues" should be commended for its honesty and for a strong character choice, a non-extreme one.
Justin Lowenhagen
Richmond
Other Publications
