Tonight I saw a play, one worth reviewing.
One woman, one story, telling the truth, and reliving it as the inner healing continues to blossom, and leave is fragrance of wisdom throughout the theater and into the hearts of those who are in the audience.
I watched this happen tonight in Hollywood as BRENDA ADELMAN performed her one-woman show, "My Brooklyn Hamlet", at the small under-99 seat theater. One doesn't need to have been born and raised in Brooklyn to enjoy it immensely for all one need do is 'feel', and stay in your seat for aspects of this is 'every family'. Brenda moves herself and her family's characters onto the stage with minimalistic artistry, endearing them to us, even through 'bad-behavior' and transparent events.
Attachment, addiction, women-child confusion, blind-belief in parents beyond all doubt, and hope and fantasy of a young woman holding onto her desired images rule. We were all taken into her Brooklyn Shakespearean-esque play--only because of a few times when she quotes her mother's artistic style, beyond the obvious emotional detachment that was the veil around her life.
Brenda's recall is a journey through all of the landmines, warts, hills, valleys, and foibles of human beings--with a couple of personal torture chambers tossed in for spice--and we all have them. I laugh when people describe themselves from a dysfunctional family---as if that is rare. This is why this play strikes each one, at some point, during the evening. No one's childhood is ever perfect, even if it is, for our mind interprets as we go, making up its stories.
Nevertheless, we are all children at heart--and often childlike in our emotions no matter how mature in years we may be. We still carry the heart of that child, and as such, can always return to that innocence when properly and gently guided back 'home'.
We can rewrite our reactions and decisions, and re-script our own memory which has been proven through 're-scripting therapies', 'play therapy', and well-known psychological processes. The mind made it up, and we can unwind out the mind as well. How much we believe what our mind says, is often the reflection of how much misery and suffering we have in 'our world'.
Although the majority of people rarely take the time, have the willingness, or use the innate courage that each person has at their disposal for true healing from within, those that do can be the way-shower for others.
This is what Brenda has done with her beautifully delivered soliloquy: the act of speaking while alone, especially when used as a theatrical device that allows a character's thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience. This is like watching the process of diving into the rabbit hole and coming out the other end awake and alive--BECAUSE of what is in the experience, not in spite of it.
Her mother's quotes from Shakespeare's wisdom remind us of the undercurrent of truth under any perception and point of view. Our limitation due to emotional filters and conditioning for our own sanity and safety were beautifully portrayed. We all saw what was taking place, but forgave the decisions, attitudes, and choices throughout, because in the same circumstances we have to ask...what would I have done?
As we all watched the very familiar swinging trapeze of emotional confusion and a life unraveling before our eyes, at the same time this play revealed the crumbling of family relationships-- relationships that were made from nothing real in the first place. What was revealed, was a woman becoming 'real' in spite of the in-authenticity of those outrageous characters in the eccentric family.
It begs the question--which came first, the need for a deep healing creating the characters we bring into our lives, or the characters who created the need for our healing? One way or another, we get what we need in this life, in order to love, forgive, and completely heal our hearts.
Whose Idea was this dream anyway? Healing happens in mysterious ways, and we all have our own 'special cast of characters' with which to heal through creating a rich opportunity in our lives to do so.
All any of us need to be is 'willing' with an intention TO heal, and to love beyond all drama, reason, and perceived circumstance. After all we all know that when we 'sleep on it' whatever that 'it' may be, when we wake in the next morning, we somehow see things differently. This is how all life is, if we let it be that fluid. What IS true, truth, real anyway?
Brenda's journey, is a beautiful weaving of drama, shock, denial, reflection, re-creation, subtle but powerful retelling of a series of events through a life that, although at the time, traumatic, are liberated from everyone, through humor, and resolve...something we all can use more of...forgiveness.
Why do this show, over and over and around the country? As she stated, "having performed this for 7 years, the forgiveness and insight still continues to discover more about her parents, and more understanding comes over time." The people in her life are blessed no doubt by the love she has for herself, enough to bring them even more to life as she performs this arc of life experiences. No doubt there is resolve in the heaven's whenever this is performed and love takes a long sigh.
My own life as been a tapestry leaving me feeling as if I have lived many parallel lives and incarnations in this one life. I don't doubt that many of you feel the same. Life seems to speed through our consciousness as it dances us along, in and out of the various experiences and dramas. I recognize this show, and love it. My own has been in process for several years to be put up on stage and this was a shot in the arm for my own gift of forgiveness and expression to bloom.
Life is a theatrical expression of our heart, our thoughts, and feelings with a supporting cast of people with whom we often take exception. Everyone is perfectly 'planted' to deliver their lines, to push our buttons, and to lay us out until that very healing can finally occur.
It is like
watching a living love letter to those with whom you had a life
contract and the one who loves, wins! Brenda wins BIG, and so does the
audience. During the Q&A following it was obvious that 'the inoculation took and the healing has begun' for several in attendance.
As Shakespeare said: "To be or not to be, that is the question". Well, that is one question--but 'to be or not to be--that is is the answer', is more to the point!
In July watch for it and GO, for you will also 'be healed' simply by sitting in the face of Truth shared from the heart of well-earned wisdom.
Celebration Theater Hollywood, California www.Tix.com
www.ForgivenessandFreedom.com for more about Brenda!
Reviewed by: Jeannie Fitzsimmons
(C)Copyright 2009 Jeannie Fitzsimmons All Rights Reserved.
Jeannie,
Thanks for the beautiful review. Just caught this on Twitter.
Brenda
Posted by: Brenda Adelman | June 09, 2009 at 04:37 PM