The American University Department of Performing Arts presented “In Pieces” by Joey Contreras in the Katzen Studio Theater from Oct. 24-26.
The University’s production, directed by Carl Menninger, was a refreshingly vulnerable depiction of Contreras’ 2021 creation, which features the voices of Broadway stars including Andrew Barth Feldman, Solea Pfeiffer, Ben Frankhauser and George Salazar.
Amidst a backdrop of cardboard boxes, various household items and the dim, intimate atmosphere of the performance space, the cast beautifully portrayed “In Pieces.”
The show is a collection of stories about a group of young adults at Yale University and later in New York City as they experience the many highs and lows of falling in love.
The show’s music beautifully demonstrates the dichotomy of jubilance and bittersweet longing felt by so many when navigating love.
From sending that first Facebook request, as sung by Katie Lurie, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, who played Jael in the song “My Simple Request,” to bitter conflict brewing in long-term relationships in “Get Up and Go,” sung by CAS junior Laurel Brown as Sam and CAS senior Jason Zuckerman as Hunter, the score takes viewers on an equivalent incredible journey with the characters.
Contreras’ score also details a variety of individual conflicts relating to vulnerability and communication when falling in love, namely in the standout “Love Me, Love Me Nott,” sung by CAS senior Gavin Schulman, and Charlie’s heart-wrenching battle with addiction and sexuality in “This Is Not Me,” sung by Ethan Kauffman, a junior CAS student. This duality, which is often not portrayed in musical theater, provided some refreshing relatability that deepened the work’s emotional connection to audiences.
The production also featured a live studio orchestra to bring Contreras’ score to life under the direction of music director Deborah Jacobson.
The orchestra included Robin Kane, a senior in CAS on guitar, Jared Kirschenbaum, a junior in CAS on drums, Ava Yap, a junior in CAS, on violin and James McRae also on guitar.
Each moment of silence, of which there were only a few, accented the all-too-relatable rollercoaster between excitement and devastation that defines young love.
While not necessarily following a specific chronology, the musical’s non-diegetic storytelling truly allows for a wealth of creative interpretation, which the University’s production used to craft its raw, honest masterpiece.
It expertly balanced humor, honesty, truth and devastation, as seen especially in CAS senior Olivia Levin’s refreshingly earnest yearning as River in “Young Kind of Love,” and CAS junior Sam Lewis’s depiction of the funny connection between those Charlie finds himself attracted to in “Ohio.”
Each song was accented by vibrant, pedestrian choreography by David Singleton that added necessary percussive and dynamic elements to physically create much of the scenery.
CAS senior Laura Dodge’s lyrical solo moments in “Fork In The Road,” the ensemble choreography depicting a subway car in “Another New York Love Story” and of course the punchy trio of Levin, Brown and Dodge in “Like You Don’t Miss Me” are among the best pieces.
The sold-out run truly highlighted the vocal and theatrical talent of each cast member in the style of contemporary musical theater that had audience members of all ages laughing, crying and feeling along with them.
The Theatre and Musical Theatre programs will conclude the Fall 2024 semester with Julia Izumi’s “Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea” from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22 in the Katzen Studio Theater.
Editor’s note: Jessica Ackerman is personal friends with Assistant Stage Manager Lilia Myers. Myers was not involved in the pitching, reporting or editing of this story.
This article was edited by Sydney Hemmer, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Emma Brown, Ariana Kavoossi and Charlie Mennuti.
