Searching for the True Self?

The Trials of Modern Times

What is the modern woman to do when the world is too much with her, late and soon? Drugs? A health spa? An ashram? A gompa? How about a medieval convent? There she can dress in sack cloth, take on the persona, or nomen, of a female mystic, drop a hallucinogen or two, and seek the way back to her true self. In The Convent, a dramedy written by Jessica Dickey, six women attempt to do just that under the tutelage of a modern Mother Abbess whose ideas and methods may be a bit more contemporary than what went on in convents in the 12th and 13th Century. On the other hand, who knows?

At this convent, the women gather wood, collect food and water, cook and clean. Two of them seem to be permanent fixtures, the lovesick, cult-survivor Bertie, and her would-be beloved Dimlin, a touching duo played by Rachael Buchanan and Heather Fangsrud. Dimlin is also the keeper of the gate to access the Abbess. The pair have been coming for many years. As has Patti (Sandra Roberts), although her disdain for the whole business, and her disruption of rituals and ceremonies has one wondering what her motive is for being a part of an experience she loathes. Jill (Juli Grygier), an overachiever who hates her husband and her life, Wilma (Lara D. Haberberger) a nun who has lost her faith, and Tina (Gabrielle Nunzio) a young woman who has lost her mother are newcomers experiencing an existential crisis.  At the helm is Mother Abbess, (Pamela Rose Mangus), a complex woman who fled her own life many years ago.

Exploring Life’s Relationships

The play, occasionally uneven, explores the effects on women living in a patriarchal society and how the roles expected of them stifle their true selves. It explores relationships between women, particularly mothers and daughters, as well as romantic relationships and looks at what it means to claim personal fulfillment, and at what cost to self and others. 

The dynamic between Patti and the Abbess is the strongest and anchors the play. What is going on between these two and why is the Abbess reluctant to have a conversation with Patti? Both actors do a fine job with this conflict. The other characters are not so finely delineated, except for Bertie. Rachael Buchanan is very sweet as that innocent, who just wants to be loved – and maybe have sex, too. Each character has a monologue that expresses their frustrations and desires. However, there is not a great deal of interaction between most of the characters, so a true camaraderie is not built between them. The tie-up of loose ends at the conclusion of the play seems a bit forced.

A Welcomed Focus on Overlooked Issues

There are some fine comic moments. Tina’s description of Mr. Squishy is one, and there is some clever dialogue. As they describe their nomens, medieval mystics whose relationship with God had sexual overtones, the phrase “God porn” pops up. Good one.

The set, by Heather Fangsrud, is an austere gray with just a couple benches on stage. Props and other set pieces are brought in and out by the actors during scene changes. Stefanie Warnick directed this 95 minute, no intermission play. Note that herbal cigarettes are smoked on stage.

The Brazen-Faced Varlets were born in 2006, and have been offering their own unique look into the LGBTQ+ community since then. Women’s issues are their forte, and this play is no exception.