Play may not be your cup of tea, but more on way

Without a doubt, one of the most entertaining things I did in the last year was serving as a member of the “season selection committee” for Eastern New Mexico University’s Department of Theatre.

I bring that up this week because you may have heard the name of the Eastern’s newest production that opens Thursday — “Gruesome Playground Injuries” — and wondered, “Umm, excuse me, what?”

I will begin by saying right up front that this show is not for everyone. I will also tell you that it was a favorite of our committee for some reasons that may surprise you.

First a little background. The season selection committee was put together by Ricky Quintana, an instructor of theater at Eastern, who also happens to be the director of this current production.

There were eight of us, including Quintana, two other theater faculty members, the department chair, two current students, a successful theater alum who lives and works in Albuquerque, and me … the token “community member.”

Quintana said our committee read 32 plays, “which seems like a small number, but we had some hefty pieces in there.”

Like any university theater department, Eastern tries to walk that line between making sure there are productions that will appeal to its home community and offering challenging experiences to its students who are studying all facets of the craft.

The season opened in the fall with Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.”

“We specifically chose that show as our first return to live in-person shows,” said Jon Barr, a committee member who chairs the Department of Theatre and Digital Filmmaking, “because we believed a family friendly comedy would be the perfect way to invite people back into our space. That proved to be true.”

A joint production between the departments of theater and music — the musical “Little Women” — is scheduled for March on the main stage, and the season will conclude in April with “Six Stories Tall,” a series of fantastical tales inspired by Hispanic folklore.

“Gruesome Playground Injuries,” on the other hand, is not tailored for general audiences, but it provides a challenging opportunity for its actors and opens dialogues about some important issues.

As a film, it would probably be rated PG-13, according to Quintana, “for the strong language as well as depictions of sexual assault and self-harm.

“To clarify, there is nothing explicit happening in regard to that,” Quintana added. “It is simply spoken about onstage. I would leave it up to parents, but this could be a good introduction into having those tough conversations with teens exactly about the issues the characters face and how to tackle them in real life.”

The show has only two characters — Doug and Kayleen — who are onstage for the 90-minute duration of this one act piece.

Doug and Kayleen are a different age in each scene, ranging from 8 to 38, and achieved with a combination of acting plus makeup and costume changes that take place on stage in “a leisurely way,” as dictated by playwright Rajiv Joseph.

“We have built two platforms with a chain link fence behind them,” Quintana said. “The actors' clothes will be hanging on the fence, and they will change in dim lights between each scene. It has been fascinating to watch.”

As for the story itself, “it's about two people who want to be together, but their lives always intertwine at the wrong time,” Quintana said. “Over the course of 30 years, we see them battle both physical and emotional injuries that bring them together, pull them apart, and give us insight into the human condition.”

There is plenty of foul language, and the show touches on issues ranging from mental health and self-harm to sexual consent and substance abuse, in a well-written script that is seasoned with a generous smattering of dark humor and bittersweet moments.

If you know me, you may guess that I was the resident “fuddy-duddy” on this selection committee. Some of the shows we read made me cringe.

This one, however — even with a saltier vocabulary than my usual range of tolerance — offered a package that I and the other committee members unanimously appreciated, both for the focus on difficult issues and its unique staging and storyline.

“No matter where who you are, you will be able see a bit of yourself in both Doug and Kayleen,” Quintana said. “As much as this piece is thought-provoking, it is refreshing to see something new and relatable. Come and be surprised.”

But don’t be too surprised. If this isn’t your cup of tea, hold tight until spring. “Little Women” is on the way.

“Gruesome Playground Injuries” runs Thursday through Sunday in the University Theatre Center’s studio theater. Curtains are 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 general admission, and $7 for active military and seniors ages 60 and up.

For more information, as well as a link to Eastern’s complete 2021-22 fine arts calendar, visit enmu.edu/cfa .

Betty Williamson is a theater junkie who is always looking for a fix. Reach her at:

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