7 reasons why you should see Playground Theatre’s ‘Tape’
The drama will be performed from Oct. 19-22.
Three friends connected by the past and the trauma of sexual assault provide the riveting foundation of Stephen Belber’s provocative 1999 drama “Tape,” presented by Playground Theatre beginning Thursday, Oct. 19, in the Mathile Theatre of the Schuster Center. Here are seven reasons why you should see this dark and twisty tale bound to leave you questioning motives.
THE RELATIONSHIP DRIVEN STORY
Set in real time in a Lansing, Michigan motel, “Tape” is a reunion between high school friends Vince, a volunteer firefighter and drug dealer, and Jon, an aspiring filmmaker on the cusp of his big break at the Lansing Film Festival. Reflecting on the old days leads to thoughts of Amy, Vince’s former girlfriend. Although Vince and Amy dated, they never had sex. But after their relationship ended, Amy slept with Jon. In fact, Vince says Amy told him Jon date-raped her. Once Vince gets Jon to confess to the alleged rape, having secretly recorded their entire conversation, he informs him he’s invited Amy, now a Lansing assistant district attorney, to dinner and she’s stopping by the motel. Ultimately what happened or didn’t happen that fateful night between Jon and Amy is dissected with great suspense. “This play is incredibly human,” said Playground co-founder Christopher Hahn who portrays Vince. “What happened to these people affected their lives. They’ve held onto it for a long time. This play addresses what happens when it finally comes out. How do they move forward? This play is the most pivotal moment in their lives. The stakes are incredibly high.”
THE UNAVOIDABLE DISCUSSION OF RAPE
Kelsie Slaugh, portraying Amy, feels the character may consider herself a sexual assault survivor or a victim of rape. “I don’t feel there is a black and white way to look at it,” she said. “I wish I could accurately describe the way someone feels after a sexual violation. I wish I could put into words the fear, anger, disgust. The way it haunts you years afterwards and changes your personality in ways you didn’t know were possible. But I can’t. I don’t know how to describe it. Amy is affected. One in five women are affected. We’re all victims and survivors and dealing with it in complicated, painful and beautiful ways.”
THE LOCAL RELEVANCE
A.J. Breslin, portraying Jon, admits finding deep similarities between the character and 2014 Oakwood High School graduate Brock Turner, the former Stanford University swimmer who spent three months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. “So many straight white male perpetrators of these crimes never have to face any kind of justice for it,” Breslin said. “They go on with their lives, have a career, and perhaps even contribute something nice to the community. Maybe Jon has become a better person, but it doesn’t change the fact that he never had to face the consequences of his actions. We see this in the news all the time.”
THE GENDER DIVIDE
Director and Playground co-founder Jenna Valyn feels men and women will likely view and absorb “Tape” differently, particularly recalling the troupe’s outstanding 2016 production of Neil LaBute’s “Reasons To Be Pretty,” an often brutal look at body image. “This play is about how people perceive situations and these characters perceive them in very different ways,” she said. “As a woman, I understand Amy and her objective. I think men will watch this play and think she’s manipulative, but I think she’s doing what she needs to survive. Amy is not the stereotype of the damsel in distress typically seen in film, TV and theater. She comes out of her situation very powerful. She empowers herself through a very terrible thing that happened to her.” “Amy is incredibly complex, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still trying to figure her out,” Slaugh added. “One thing I love about Amy is that she comes in and schools these two boys on rape. She uses a wide range of tactics to illustrate to them how misogynistic they’re being about the entire thing. Vince believes that he is helping her by tricking Jon into a confession; Amy sees that Vince is really trying to help himself. Jon believes he can say sorry and fix everything; Amy proves that actions always have consequences, and words alone cannot erase that.”
THE INTIMATE STAGING
Playground recognizes one of the bonuses of the black box Mathile is the ability to change the space, the intimacy, which each show. This time around, Valyn is taking a cage-fight approach, setting the play in-the-round. “This play is a power struggle,” she said. “There are moments of great tension among the characters when they’re at a distance followed by moments when they’re closer and strike. It feels like a boxing match or a fight to the death.” “There’s no way to hide,” Hahn said. “There is visceral immediacy.”
THE SOUNDTRACK
Music is key to the emotional undercurrent of Playground productions. From the moment the audience enters, music accents the experience. “Tape” is set in the late 1990s, so Valyn is ensuring a mix of grunge and alternative rock. “Expect Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Garbage, Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt, Beastie Boys and more,” she said. “The songs you’ll hear will offer nuggets about the characters and the play’s overall angst.” You can follow Playground’s Spotify playlist at http://bit.ly/tape-soundtrack.
THE THOUGHTPROVOKING TAKEAWAYS
“This is a play that deals with the real ugliness of humanity and theater companies around here really don’t choose these types of stories,” Valyn said. “The biggest takeaway is a conversation,” Slaugh noted. “What is rape? What is consent? Does rape ‘expire’ after so many years? How long do my mistakes follow me? What is forgiveness? Punishment? I hope our audiences leave with questions. I hope they discuss the choices the characters make and examine their own lives.”