A dark comedy with a lot of heart hits the Waldron Stage on Thursday for a weekend run. As WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno tells us the one-woman play is a story of survival as the character confronts fear with humor.
Natural Shocks written by Lauren Gunderson, stars acclaimed actor, director, and educator Marci Duncan. Duncan as the main character takes refuge in her basement during a tornado warning. That storm becomes a metaphor for the domestic abuse the woman is experiencing.
“This is a people story,” said Marci Duncan, who plays Angela. “This story is about us, about humanity. And I think you’ll be swept up in the storytelling, and I think you’ll be swept up in the story itself. And I think you’ll find yourself in this piece. It’s sweet, it’s funny, and it’s also a wonderful opportunity to take care of each other.”
Gunderson’s writing moves the play seamlessly between humor and tragedy. There will be talkbacks after each performance that will include representatives from the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley, Turning Point, The Rescue Mission, TAP, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, and Bradley Free Clinic. Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.
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Mill Mountain Theatre’s latest offering blends dark comedy with an urgent commentary on domestic violence and gun control in America. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more.
The one woman play, Natural Shocks, starts off with a tornado warning which sends Angela to her basement. Angela, played by Marci Duncan, starts off the monologue with high energy humor and then takes the audience on a roller coaster ride with emotionally devastating twists. Duncan says the play demonstrates domestic violence has far reaching effects.
“Those who perpetrate the violence on their partner also participate in mass shootings,” said Marci Duncan, who plays Angela. “And I think the statistics is like 54%. So, you know, although it is a seemingly, you know, domestic situation, it really does have major repercussions in society at whole.”
Natural Shocks premieres Thursday evening and runs through the weekend on the Waldron stage. There will be talkbacks after each performance that will include representatives from the region’s domestic violence resource centers and healthcare providers. Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.
