THE MAGNIFICENT GIFT OF FAITH (ALPHER!) reviewed by (me!), sandra, tvgp AKA: WriteousMom
THE MAGNIFICENT GIFT OF FAITH
Packed House, Rave Reviews & Standing Ovation
for Faith Alpher’s One Woman Show at The Bankhead Theater in Livermore
Sunday, Jan 9th, 2011
Through the Eyes of Faith, is technically speaking, a one-woman show, but actually speaking, it’s like a 15 women and 5 men show; performed by one amazing woman: Faith Alpher
The mood, tone and context are set brilliantly from the start with a dark and empty stage. Through the Eyes of Faith begins with only an engaging and nostalgic male voice narrating through the speaker system, inviting the audience to remember when.. remember when children played outside all day.. roller-skated without helmets and kneepads, -before video games and cable tv, before the internet and email; when (insert popular commercials and tv programs from the 60’s & 70’s here). And we learn, it was in this environment, this time in history, this popular culture, a baby girl was born in Teaneck, New Jersey
Lights up and we see Faith, charading her birth into the cold, cruel world with comedic flair. In no time, her earliest childhood memories are shared and instantly replace any sentimental affection for days gone by with nostalgia’s two notorious enemies: truth and reality.
She portray’s herself as a stinky and bossy pain in the ass younger sibling with a talent for pissing off, grossing out, annoying and chronically antagonizing her older sisters; but not with intention or malice of course. She reveals herself as unkempt, yes, but more from unconsciousness and youth than laziness. She confesses to the crime of ruining her sister’s purple Jordache corduroy’s with Clorox -but we have to laugh. The combination of her creative coveting paired with the life or death value her older sister places on that one pair of purple pants is familiar to us all. Race references are thrown in, like “you’d think a black girl would know how to wash clothes…” and succeed in earning the laughs they were designed to ignite.
Faith maintains an audience~friendly format throughout the performance by taking a few moments prior to each personality transformation, to politely introduce the true life character she is about to become. A master level actor, it appears she highlights that one perfect setting, and that one perfect conversation, which best showcases not only each person’s essence, but each person’s unique contribution to the shaping of her own life journey. These real life characters ranged from her divorced, single, hard-working, stage~ish, mom, to her recovering alcoholic father; her older, meaner, sister’s, to her crazy cousins; her heartless catholic teacher to her life~saving catholic teacher; her Caucasian new jersey boyfriend, slash, future husband to her Caucasion in-laws, cousins, aunts, and also included a sexually abusive uncle, described with air quotes as a “friend” of the family.
With truth, candor, humor and a rare objectivity, she animates each person’s dark, rejectable flaws along with their light and socially acceptable qualities, yielding a real factor and trust that bonds audience to story. With each new character we are attracted some, slightly repelled, but ultimately endeared.
The entire performance was remarkable from my seat in the house, but there are three stand-outs: Witnessing the elementary & middle school age Faith relive the anxiety-provoking, ego-bashing auditions she endured to ultimately be cast in commercials -which lead us to the most loving/tender scene between her crying young self on the subway and her mom, who employs love and humor to heal her daughter’s broken, rejected heart.
And another great scene which brings to life her alcoholic father cheering her on with great fatherly pride at a school basketball game.
In both acts, the love between parent and child rises above each individual’s struggle and weakness, until we are left with tears of hope; and smiles of faith.
Those private tears and spontaneous smiles are soon replaced with group belly laughs, when Faith invites us to her inter-racial wedding. Here she succeeds again in earning laughter with racial references stereotypical for the decade. It all leads to a very original, very raw, fresh and funny scene between her and new husband Daniel, in their honeymoon suite, “overlooking the Hudson River.”
“We had not, you know, ..sealed the deal.. before we married,” she explains, and the audience is treated to all the hilarity that comes with an exaggerated animation of the awkward, anxious, nerve-racking behaviors that precede a first sexual encounter between young man & new wife. We are further treated to a surprise stage appearance by her director/husband of 13 years now, Daniel, who -without the aid of dialogue, elevates the scene to roaring applause.
Through the Eyes of Faith, concludes with Faith sharing some amazing real life new chapters in the people’s lives she has brought to life: We learn her father gave up alcohol along his journey and is celebrating 27 years of sobriety. Better still, and equally inspiring, we learn Faith’s parents re-married -each other- in 1997 and remain married to this day. We learn she was able to share the secret of sexual abuse with her mom, as a young adult, and through prayer was able to forgive and more forward.
Collectively we cry, laugh and learn those terrifying auditions Faith endured in her youth.. the gifts she received from her flawed but loving parents, the obstacles, rejections, tragedies, the small successes and acts of kindness along the way, the death of her supportive father in law, all combined to bring us here: The Bankhead Theatre in Livermore, to embrace this chapter in our lives. To witness, firsthand, the power and presence of this one phenomenal woman who is also a daughter, sister, cousin, student, wife, mother of three, radio personality, actor, comedian and perhaps most importantly, fellow human.
She closes with an impactful poem which encourages each audience member to recognize their own life story and to have faith in and on their unique journey. And we, an audience of some 500+ people, closed by thanking and congratulating her with a standing ovation.
Packed House, Rave Reviews & Standing Ovation
for Faith Alpher’s One Woman Show at The Bankhead Theater in Livermore
Sunday, Jan 9th, 2011
Through the Eyes of Faith, is technically speaking, a one-woman show, but actually speaking, it’s like a 15 women and 5 men show; performed by one amazing woman: Faith Alpher
The mood, tone and context are set brilliantly from the start with a dark and empty stage. Through the Eyes of Faith begins with only an engaging and nostalgic male voice narrating through the speaker system, inviting the audience to remember when.. remember when children played outside all day.. roller-skated without helmets and kneepads, -before video games and cable tv, before the internet and email; when (insert popular commercials and tv programs from the 60’s & 70’s here). And we learn, it was in this environment, this time in history, this popular culture, a baby girl was born in Teaneck, New Jersey
Lights up and we see Faith, charading her birth into the cold, cruel world with comedic flair. In no time, her earliest childhood memories are shared and instantly replace any sentimental affection for days gone by with nostalgia’s two notorious enemies: truth and reality.
She portray’s herself as a stinky and bossy pain in the ass younger sibling with a talent for pissing off, grossing out, annoying and chronically antagonizing her older sisters; but not with intention or malice of course. She reveals herself as unkempt, yes, but more from unconsciousness and youth than laziness. She confesses to the crime of ruining her sister’s purple Jordache corduroy’s with Clorox -but we have to laugh. The combination of her creative coveting paired with the life or death value her older sister places on that one pair of purple pants is familiar to us all. Race references are thrown in, like “you’d think a black girl would know how to wash clothes…” and succeed in earning the laughs they were designed to ignite.
Faith maintains an audience~friendly format throughout the performance by taking a few moments prior to each personality transformation, to politely introduce the true life character she is about to become. A master level actor, it appears she highlights that one perfect setting, and that one perfect conversation, which best showcases not only each person’s essence, but each person’s unique contribution to the shaping of her own life journey. These real life characters ranged from her divorced, single, hard-working, stage~ish, mom, to her recovering alcoholic father; her older, meaner, sister’s, to her crazy cousins; her heartless catholic teacher to her life~saving catholic teacher; her Caucasian new jersey boyfriend, slash, future husband to her Caucasion in-laws, cousins, aunts, and also included a sexually abusive uncle, described with air quotes as a “friend” of the family.
With truth, candor, humor and a rare objectivity, she animates each person’s dark, rejectable flaws along with their light and socially acceptable qualities, yielding a real factor and trust that bonds audience to story. With each new character we are attracted some, slightly repelled, but ultimately endeared.
The entire performance was remarkable from my seat in the house, but there are three stand-outs: Witnessing the elementary & middle school age Faith relive the anxiety-provoking, ego-bashing auditions she endured to ultimately be cast in commercials -which lead us to the most loving/tender scene between her crying young self on the subway and her mom, who employs love and humor to heal her daughter’s broken, rejected heart.
And another great scene which brings to life her alcoholic father cheering her on with great fatherly pride at a school basketball game.
In both acts, the love between parent and child rises above each individual’s struggle and weakness, until we are left with tears of hope; and smiles of faith.
Those private tears and spontaneous smiles are soon replaced with group belly laughs, when Faith invites us to her inter-racial wedding. Here she succeeds again in earning laughter with racial references stereotypical for the decade. It all leads to a very original, very raw, fresh and funny scene between her and new husband Daniel, in their honeymoon suite, “overlooking the Hudson River.”
“We had not, you know, ..sealed the deal.. before we married,” she explains, and the audience is treated to all the hilarity that comes with an exaggerated animation of the awkward, anxious, nerve-racking behaviors that precede a first sexual encounter between young man & new wife. We are further treated to a surprise stage appearance by her director/husband of 13 years now, Daniel, who -without the aid of dialogue, elevates the scene to roaring applause.
Through the Eyes of Faith, concludes with Faith sharing some amazing real life new chapters in the people’s lives she has brought to life: We learn her father gave up alcohol along his journey and is celebrating 27 years of sobriety. Better still, and equally inspiring, we learn Faith’s parents re-married -each other- in 1997 and remain married to this day. We learn she was able to share the secret of sexual abuse with her mom, as a young adult, and through prayer was able to forgive and more forward.
Collectively we cry, laugh and learn those terrifying auditions Faith endured in her youth.. the gifts she received from her flawed but loving parents, the obstacles, rejections, tragedies, the small successes and acts of kindness along the way, the death of her supportive father in law, all combined to bring us here: The Bankhead Theatre in Livermore, to embrace this chapter in our lives. To witness, firsthand, the power and presence of this one phenomenal woman who is also a daughter, sister, cousin, student, wife, mother of three, radio personality, actor, comedian and perhaps most importantly, fellow human.
She closes with an impactful poem which encourages each audience member to recognize their own life story and to have faith in and on their unique journey. And we, an audience of some 500+ people, closed by thanking and congratulating her with a standing ovation.
posted by SHE @ 9:00 AM
3 Comments:
Outsanding review! You captured it all!
A Stellar Performance!
Bravo!
We were 2nd row at this show and she was incredible, as always. Her performance and words echo in my head to this day. A beautiful lady inside and out, an inspiration literally to Keep the Faith.
We LOVE you Faith!
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