Saturday, February 23, 2013

Review: A Box for All

Telling a story is easy. Capturing the heart while doing it? That’s the hard part. Luckily for Antonia Lassar, writer and performer of The God Box, she’s excelled at both. Playing an assortment of characters, Lassar’s story follows Gloria Adelman, the epitome of Jewish Mothers, as she packs up her daughter Rebecca’s apartment after her untimely death in a car accident. As Gloria packs, she discovers a box labeled “God” filled with mementos on her journey of faith. Initially Gloria is brokenhearted that her daughter that has seemingly abandoned her Judaism, but Gloria is soon taken on a journey by her late daughter and discovers the harmonies that all faiths share. 
Lassar does a sublime job transforming herself to play the assortment of characters. From mother to daughter and all those in between, Lassar breaths life into each personality that graces the stage. The beauty of Lassar’s performance is her ability to share stories with ease. Her storytelling is engaging and sincere capturing the audiences hearts from the tale of Chelm to Gloria’s reading of Rebecca’s poem. Lassar’s physicality and vocal treatments for each character are effortless, signifying a clear change. Helping greatly is director Nikki DiLoreto. DiLoreto is able to give Lassar the guidance to seamlessly move from beat to beat.
The God Box is a triumph of a total solo piece. Antonia Lassar is a wonderful performer who makes you smile and think about life, spirituality, and internal happiness. The God Box is the complete package, leaving your mind at peace.