By Jason and Alisha Hagey
Once again, Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) creates a genuinely creepy October – just in time for Halloween – with their psychologically disturbing Whitelisted by Chisa Hutchinson (Playwright). SLAC makes you laugh out loud one moment and cringe with terror another moment, all while delivering a socially conscious message. Whitelisted is a reminder that we are never safe. Behind our comfortable lives, there are things we need to face up to, realities that we are often blind to because of our privilege, while some are invisible to the world. Whitelisted challenges us to rethink the intersections of race, class, and privilege in America today.
With adept mastery, Hutchinson’s script ratchets up the tension, threading the hilarious with the poignant, raw vulnerability with sharp intellectual insight. Living in her newly renovated apartment in New York City, Rebecca Burgess begins to experience strange occurrences. The weirdness ticks upward at alarming rates, suspenseful and heart-pounding. Shadows move. There is something going bump in the night in her apartment. Rebecca believes herself solid and independent, yet she spends the entirety of the show grasping for approval and connection with others, showing her isolation and discomfort with being alone. She believes she deserves the attention, not knowing she’s lucky to get it. Hutchinson brings the audience on a thrill ride into the profoundly distressing experience of a woman whose life is unraveling for what appears to be no explicit reason.
In their tag team effort, Latoya Cameron and Tito Livas (Directors) devise a dizzying experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat. They capitalize on the rare, expansive talent of their small cast. Cameron and Livas can heighten the mood with tremendous comic timing and drop and destroy the soul with their ability to harness the insecurities and all-too-real experiences of the play’s characters. Through their marvelous design team, Cameron and Livas envision a seemingly ordinary world and give it a twisted, terrifying edge – inviting an unsuspecting audience into the madness.
From “Go,” Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin (Yvette/Officer Black) is captivating and haunting. My heart broke, and I felt her pain. I don’t know how she managed to tap into that torment and manifest it in such a sincere and visceral manner. She is brilliant. She is a marvel in each role, choice, and scene. Darby-Duffin will cause you to ache for her because she is palpably real.
In like manner, Colette Astle (Rebecca) makes you cheer for her, find her annoying, downright loathe her, and fear for her sanity. The fact that she does all of this in roughly 90 minutes is sheer magic. Astle has a superb skill in being the part; you never doubt her genuineness. Even when you disagree with her perspective, she can be charismatic and endearing. Perhaps the one thing Astle does best is make you feel like you understand her even when she’s wrong. At first, you don’t feel any connection to her, but as her situation becomes more dire, it is hard not to ask yourself, “Am I like her?”
Infinitely likable and completely relatable, Jacob Barnes (Diego) keeps you laughing throughout. Still, by the end of your time with him, he has you thinking about your place in the world and your relationship with others. Barnes has a remarkable knack for being the “nice guy next door” while being impressively separate and enigmatic.
Eliyah Ghaeini (Ryan/Officer White) is charming as the wealthy, self-absorbed, and self-important love interest and engrossing as the NYPD tough guy first responder. I took a double-take when he flipped between his two characters with ease and notable differentiation: yes, that’s the same actor in just a matter of seconds. Ghaeini is excellent.
In our brief time with her, Betty Kalunga (Maya) is no less exceptional and worthy of note for her integral performance. She adds a layer of poignancy and depth.
Enough good cannot be said of the creative team. Erik Reichert (Scenic Design) gives us a chilling atmosphere with its almost stark, minimalist design. The stage hints at unseen presences while using what feels like a traditional ‘living room’ set. Reichert takes the mundane and adds a large splash of fear and topsy-turvy menace. He does things I didn’t think possible in the upstairs theatre of this converted 1896 church. The set masterfully immerses the audience in a world where the past and present collide, evoking a deep sense of unease and anticipation.
Subtle sound effects, like distant whispers and the rustling of unseen entities, enhance the haunting ambiance, creating a palpable sense of dread that lingers in the air. Joe Killian (Sound Design) envelops the audience in an unsettling auditory landscape. It begins with a low, pulsating bass that creates an underlying tension, punctuated by distant, echoing whispers that seem to come from all directions.
Jesse Portillo (Lighting Design) rises to the occasion. He uses soft, dim light to bathe the stage, casting long, distorted shadows that seem to shift and breathe. Reds and then blackouts illuminate vital moments. Lights flicker, mimicking the unsettling presence of something otherworldly, while sharp, sudden spotlights highlight characters in moments of panic or revelation, intensifying their emotional turmoil. This interplay of light and shadow enhances the suspense and deepens the psychological tension, drawing the audience into a world where reality and the supernatural blur.
Dennis Hassan (Costume Design) gives us glimpses of the familiar and then quickly transforms into the unsettling. Everything created complements one another. Each texture and fabric choice provides a strong sense of time and place.
Jennie Sant (Production Stage Manager), Tahra Veasley (Stage Manager), Bridgette Lehman (Assistant Stage Manager), and Lynn Brisco (2nd Assistant Stage Manager) have to be recognized. People usually overlook supporting roles, but the magic was only possible with their behind-the-scenes work. Brava!
Ultimately, Whitelisted masterfully straddles the line between laughter and unease, leaving the audience delighted and unnerved. The clever script, filled with sharp wit, reveals the haunting truths that linger beneath the surface of everyday life. The cast delivers performances oscillating between hilarity and horror, drawing us into their chaotic world with energy. As the show ends, we’re left questioning the boundaries of comedy and terror and our responses to the absurdity of the human experience. It’s a bold, unsettling ride that lingers in the mind, ensuring that viewers will be entertained and reflective as we navigate our fears and biases.
The show runs about 90 minutes and will not have an intermission.
Sensitivity Warnings: Coarse language (including casual use of the N-word), Satirical discussion of racism and sexual assault, Depictions of sexual assault that may be triggering for some viewers, Lighting that may affect photosensitive viewers
Salt Lake Acting Company, Utah’s Premier Professional Equity Theatre Dedicated to the Production of Brave, Contemporary Works, to Produce the Regional Premiere Production of Whitelisted by Chisa Hutchinson
Salt Lake Acting Company
168 West 500 North
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
(801)363-7522
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info@saltlakeactingcompany.org
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Oct 2nd – Oct 27th, 2024: Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM with Sunday matinees at 1 PM and 6 PM.
There will be a Tuesday evening performance on Tuesday, October 15th, at 7:30 PM, and a Saturday matinee at 2 PM on October 26th
Tickets are $45 and can be purchased here or through the Ticketing Office at (801) 363-7522 during regular business hours, 11 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday.
Accessibility Information:
Open Captioned Performance: October 20th at 6 PM
ASL Interpreted Performance: October 26th at 2 PM
Sensory Performance: October 26th at 2 PM
Audio Described Performance: October 27th at 6 PM
Production Partnership:
SLAC is proud to partner with The Black Physicians of Utah Mental Wellness Alliance on our production of Whitelisted. More information on The Black Physicians of Utah Mental Wellness Alliance can be found here.
SLAC’s Green Room Gallery:
Salt Lake Acting Company’s Green Room Gallery is more than just a space for patrons to lounge; it’s a vibrant hub for local visual arts. This gallery showcases and sells the work of local artists, with exhibitions often thematically linked to the productions on stage. The gallery exemplifies SLAC’s mission to nurture the local creative community by offering diverse visual perspectives and celebrating the connections between visual and performing arts. During the run of Whitelisted we are thrilled to display the work by Andrea G. Hardeman, M.S. Andrea G. Hardeman, M.S. is a multidisciplinary artist and bestselling author who ignites healing through visual art, poetry, and music, crafting narratives that foster self-discovery and empathy. Her work is featured in several galleries and museums around Salt Lake City, and she had the honor of being a featured artist during the 2023 NBA All Star Games.
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