what's the buzz?
It’s an intimate work that invites contemplation around how we perceive ourselves, our self-worth, relationships that challenge us and a myriad of ways we may choose to react, or not react. - The Cape Cod Times
Ms. Wilson goes from nonchalant to optimistic to angry to insecure, sometimes all in the same scene. It is entirely believable that someone going through the uncertainty of cancer and the finality of a mastectomy would ride an emotional roller coaster and I thought the inner back-and-forth by Ms. Wilson was one of the play’s greatest strengths. - Cape News
The heartfelt exchanges between Wilson and Smith are powerful and riveting, cringe-worthy and comforting. The two are so genuine... It’s good stuff, from Wilson’s hair-trigger reactions to Smith’s expression of searing emotional pain that Megan can’t shed. ...While someone experiencing cancer may be staring death in the face, others often get the unanticipated opportunity to stare down their hidden traumas too. “Lopsided” offers a well-balanced plunge into the wreckage and beauty strewn by the great equalizer. - The Cape Cod Times
Ms. Wilson goes from nonchalant to optimistic to angry to insecure, sometimes all in the same scene. It is entirely believable that someone going through the uncertainty of cancer and the finality of a mastectomy would ride an emotional roller coaster and I thought the inner back-and-forth by Ms. Wilson was one of the play’s greatest strengths. - Cape News
The heartfelt exchanges between Wilson and Smith are powerful and riveting, cringe-worthy and comforting. The two are so genuine... It’s good stuff, from Wilson’s hair-trigger reactions to Smith’s expression of searing emotional pain that Megan can’t shed. ...While someone experiencing cancer may be staring death in the face, others often get the unanticipated opportunity to stare down their hidden traumas too. “Lopsided” offers a well-balanced plunge into the wreckage and beauty strewn by the great equalizer. - The Cape Cod Times
photos
synopsis
How long, and how tight, should you hold on to a part of yourself that's no longer there? It's the most wrenching question in Kafkalas’s searching drama, Lopsided. The play explores the raw side of breast cancer, from the scars of surgery to the damaged self-image. At the same time, it embraces a sense of strength and hope, reminding the audience that the membrane between being shallow and being human is paper thin.
Four college friends have reunited in London for the marriage of their friend, Dr. Mary Lewis. Megan, a photographer, discovers her best friend, Laurie, a high school teacher, has been fighting breast cancer for the past seven months. Laurie kept her illness a secret from Megan because Megan lost her lover to inflammatory breast cancer. Despite Laurie’s positive attitude, her self-esteem has been shattered by the mastectomy and her ex-boyfriend’s insensitivity. Complicating Laurie’s weekend is the thought of seeing Gail, who still believes that Laurie stole her boyfriend in college.
Four college friends have reunited in London for the marriage of their friend, Dr. Mary Lewis. Megan, a photographer, discovers her best friend, Laurie, a high school teacher, has been fighting breast cancer for the past seven months. Laurie kept her illness a secret from Megan because Megan lost her lover to inflammatory breast cancer. Despite Laurie’s positive attitude, her self-esteem has been shattered by the mastectomy and her ex-boyfriend’s insensitivity. Complicating Laurie’s weekend is the thought of seeing Gail, who still believes that Laurie stole her boyfriend in college.
cast and crew
Cast in order of appearance:
Megan …... Victoria Smith
Laurie ….... Jess Wilson
Mary …..... Julie Butler
Gail .......... Susan Salvesen
Peter …..... Ian Rubinstein
Crew:
Director ................ Garrett Olson
Stage Manager ..... Annie Rossi
Tech Director …..... Erin Trainor
Set Design ………….. Garrett Olson
Ann Marie Olson
Megan …... Victoria Smith
Laurie ….... Jess Wilson
Mary …..... Julie Butler
Gail .......... Susan Salvesen
Peter …..... Ian Rubinstein
Crew:
Director ................ Garrett Olson
Stage Manager ..... Annie Rossi
Tech Director …..... Erin Trainor
Set Design ………….. Garrett Olson
Ann Marie Olson
special thanks
Kelly McAndrews and Salon Serenity of Halifax, MA,
Christopher Davies, Tristan DiVincenzo, Malorie Savran, and Tami Trask
Christopher Davies, Tristan DiVincenzo, Malorie Savran, and Tami Trask
press release
Cotuit Center for the Arts and WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company present the New England regional premiere of “Lopsided,” a play by EA Kafkalas, October 10 through 27 in the Black Box Theater. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM.
How long, and how tight, should you hold on to a part of yourself that's no longer there? It's the most wrenching question in Kafkalas’s searching drama, "Lopsided." The play explores the raw side of breast cancer, from the scars of surgery to the damaged self-image. At the same time, it embraces a sense of strength and hope, reminding the audience that the membrane between being shallow and being human is paper thin.
Four college friends have reunited in London for the marriage of their friend, Dr. Mary Lewis. Megan, a photographer, discovers her best friend, Laurie, a high school teacher, has been fighting breast cancer for the past seven months. Laurie kept her illness a secret from Megan because Megan lost her lover to inflammatory breast cancer. Despite Laurie’s positive attitude, her self-esteem has been shattered by the mastectomy and her ex-boyfriend’s insensitivity. Complicating Laurie’s weekend is the thought of seeing Gail, who still believes that Laurie stole her boyfriend in college.
The cast includes Julie Butler of Pembroke, Ian Rubinstein of Bourne, Susan Salvesen of Marion, Victoria Smith of Mashpee, and Jess Wilson of Onset, who also appeared in the world premiere of Lopsided. The production is stage managed by Annie Rossi of Wareham and directed by Garrett Olson of Pembroke.
Said Olson, “Playwright EA Kafkalas has created a beautiful piece that reminds us that life goes on, sometimes not like we planned, sometimes not as we expected, and sometimes even when we feel it shouldn’t. She has given us an opportunity to give thought to the person and not the disease. We have an opportunity to see things through eyes of fear, friendship, jealousy and laughter. It also speaks to the bonds of friendship that have years and distance between them, but no less love, intimacy, familiarity, and trust.”
This is a remarkable cast whose talents and passion make my job as a director an easy one as we create what I hope is a evening of theater that makes the audience rethink stereotypes and provokes a new level of awareness past the traditional “thought and prayers.” I hope there is a true realization that the true beauty of a woman is not her physical attributes, but her character, her strength, her confidence, and her opinion of herself,” continued Olson, who is also the Associate Artistic Director for WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company.
Kafkalas is a novelist and playwright. Her plays, “Lopsided” and “Pandora’s Golden Box,” have been performed in Texas, Pennsylvania and New York. Her novels include “The Second Heart,” “Soul Mistakes,” “Out of Grief,” and “Frankie & Petra.”
Kafkalas has worked in the theatre as an actor, director, and producer, and is a member of the Golden Crown Literary Society. In her spare time, she is a mixed media artist working with clay and acrylics.
Tickets are $20, $15 for members. Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information, visit www.artsonthecape.org or call 508-428-0669.
How long, and how tight, should you hold on to a part of yourself that's no longer there? It's the most wrenching question in Kafkalas’s searching drama, "Lopsided." The play explores the raw side of breast cancer, from the scars of surgery to the damaged self-image. At the same time, it embraces a sense of strength and hope, reminding the audience that the membrane between being shallow and being human is paper thin.
Four college friends have reunited in London for the marriage of their friend, Dr. Mary Lewis. Megan, a photographer, discovers her best friend, Laurie, a high school teacher, has been fighting breast cancer for the past seven months. Laurie kept her illness a secret from Megan because Megan lost her lover to inflammatory breast cancer. Despite Laurie’s positive attitude, her self-esteem has been shattered by the mastectomy and her ex-boyfriend’s insensitivity. Complicating Laurie’s weekend is the thought of seeing Gail, who still believes that Laurie stole her boyfriend in college.
The cast includes Julie Butler of Pembroke, Ian Rubinstein of Bourne, Susan Salvesen of Marion, Victoria Smith of Mashpee, and Jess Wilson of Onset, who also appeared in the world premiere of Lopsided. The production is stage managed by Annie Rossi of Wareham and directed by Garrett Olson of Pembroke.
Said Olson, “Playwright EA Kafkalas has created a beautiful piece that reminds us that life goes on, sometimes not like we planned, sometimes not as we expected, and sometimes even when we feel it shouldn’t. She has given us an opportunity to give thought to the person and not the disease. We have an opportunity to see things through eyes of fear, friendship, jealousy and laughter. It also speaks to the bonds of friendship that have years and distance between them, but no less love, intimacy, familiarity, and trust.”
This is a remarkable cast whose talents and passion make my job as a director an easy one as we create what I hope is a evening of theater that makes the audience rethink stereotypes and provokes a new level of awareness past the traditional “thought and prayers.” I hope there is a true realization that the true beauty of a woman is not her physical attributes, but her character, her strength, her confidence, and her opinion of herself,” continued Olson, who is also the Associate Artistic Director for WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company.
Kafkalas is a novelist and playwright. Her plays, “Lopsided” and “Pandora’s Golden Box,” have been performed in Texas, Pennsylvania and New York. Her novels include “The Second Heart,” “Soul Mistakes,” “Out of Grief,” and “Frankie & Petra.”
Kafkalas has worked in the theatre as an actor, director, and producer, and is a member of the Golden Crown Literary Society. In her spare time, she is a mixed media artist working with clay and acrylics.
Tickets are $20, $15 for members. Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information, visit www.artsonthecape.org or call 508-428-0669.