Never Let Go: A One Woman Titanic
by Lucy Cashion and Will Bonfiglio
Directed by Lucy Cashion
Equally Represented Arts (ERA)
December 8, 2023
Rachel Tibbetts
Photo by Jason Hackett
Equally Represented Arts (ERA)
No matter what you think of the movie itself, there’s no question that James Cameron’s 1997 movie Titanic has become a cultural icon. The subject of many discussions, debates, and memes, and spawning the Oscar winning earworm of a song “My Heart Will Go On”, the film has ingrained itself into America’s pop-culture psyche. Equally Represented Arts (ERA) and playwrights Lucy Cashion and Will Bonfiglio have capitalized on that ubiquity with the brisk and cleverly staged Never Let Go: A One Woman Titanic. Showcasing the talents of excellent local performer Rachel Tibbetts, supported by the equally talented Bonfiglio, this show packs a lot into it’s not quite one hour running time.
ERA staged this show in 2019, but I was unable to see it then. Now it’s back, and I’m glad I’ve been able to witness this hilarious, clever, and occasionally surprisingly poignant production. The premise follows Titanic protagonist Rose (Tibbetts) 24 years after surviving the sinking of the ill-fated ocean liner. Now, Rose is an actress, still pining after her long-lost love, Jack, and remembering her few days on the Titanic so vividly that she’s convinced it will make a great film, which she is now pitching to producers. As Rose acts out her vision and reflects on her experiences during and after the infamous disaster, she also makes some meta observations about the phenomenon of Cameron’s film, including some searing and on-point critiques of the script. It’s a fun, sometimes frantic staging, supported by Bonfiglio as the “Stage Manager” who decorates the stage, provides props as needed, and assists the insistent Rose in whatever ways she dictates.
The staging is fast-paced, and Tibbetts is a force as Rose, commanding the stage with attitude and energy, with Bonfiglio matching her energy in a mostly wordless performance moving props and set pieces around and sometimes even serving as a prop when needed, and also playing a few occasional roles–most notably a violin-playing iceberg. The tone is mostly comic, but the pair manage to bring out a degree of poignancy when re-enacting certain dramatic moments late in the film. Kudos to technical director Jimmy Bernatowicz, as well as lighting designer Denisse Chavez, and costume designer and props master Megan Fisher for their excellent contributions to the overall atmosphere of the production.
Never Let Go is a compelling experience, featuring great performances, and also a lively warm-up act by standup comic and local actor Paul Cereghino at most performances. It’s Titanic like you’ve never seen it before, and if you’ve seen the film, it will probably spark memories. It’s another inventive, thought-provoking production from ERA.
Will Bonfiglio, Rachel Tibbetts
Photo by Jason Hackett
Equally Represented Arts (ERA)
Equally Represented Arts (ERA) is presenting Never Let Go: A One Woman Titanic at the Kranzberg Arts Center until December 16, 2023