Written by Mateo Biggs
There is a time in everyone’s life when they take a look at the world around them, look to those they have respected their entire lives, and wonder: “When did I realize? When did this change?” Everyone learns through trial and error, or by the stemmed action of their guardians, that growing up is to mature and to let go of childish things that had brought comfort in the past. However, some people take this to the extreme and attempt to please the people they look up to. It tears them apart, to be stretched so thin until the tension snaps like a rubber band.
In Theatre Roanoke College’s recent production, “Gods Are Fallen and All Safety Gone,” the audience watched as the daughter Annie (played by senior Grace DuPré) slowly watches her view shift from where it had been—answering the way her mother (played by senior and dramaturg Adeline Huggins) wanted and taking whatever she said without a grain of salt.
“Gods Are Fallen and All Safety Gone,” by Selma Dimitrijevic, managed to hit home with every bit of tension it relayed through the actresses’ thespian talents. Every audience member could relate to the story unfolding on stage, whether their guardian was their mother, father, older sibling, or merely someone who had been taking care of them all their life.
“This play actually hits close to home in some regards,” said senior Lane Kinsley, stage manager for the production. “The first time I read the play, it sent me through a rollercoaster of emotions.” When asked if that same rollercoaster of emotions would apply to the audience, Kinsley answered, “I wouldn’t say it is a very volatile play. It won’t offend and it won’t disturb any people. However, it certainly will make people think.”
Dr. Nelson Barre, the director of “Gods Are Fallen and All Safety Gone,” was also kind enough to answer a few inquiries in relation to the play. Without giving any major spoilers away, he said that “the play is about two women just trying to figure out their differences. A mother and a daughter, going through what it is that ails us and thinking about how do you deal with your parents when you’re a grown up?”
In order to make this show more accessible to the student population, Theatre RC offered a live streaming of the performances on Sept. 18 and 19. However, nothing can compare to the feeling of being in front of the stage and seeing the action unfold before your very eyes. Knowing this, Theatre RC allowed a limited in-person audience to view the production. Whether theater is your thing or not, “Gods Are Fallen and All Safety Gone” is made for anyone who also realizes that the perfect is imperfect.
