Remember your first day of school, first day of a new job, or even the first day you joined a social club? Did you feel like everyone knew each other and you were the outcast?
I think most people in their lives have felt that way and that is why when you see the show, Hangman School for Girls in the Village, you can immediately relate. It’s a show about girls bullying each other, using their imagination, and how they eventually grow and come together. If you enjoy psychological case studies, you will love this production.
Presented by Fullstop Collective, the Vagabond Theatre Ensemble and Brian Hashimoto, Hangman School for Girls is going on right now at the Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal Street in New York City through March 27th. The play, written by emerging writer, Lucy Gillespie, who also stars in the show, was cute, fun, extremely emotional and thought provoking!
The girls were Hazel, played by Lucy Gillespie, Chelsea, played by Sarah Ann Masse, Anna, played by Louiza Collins, Jenny, played by Lillian Meredith and Dina, played by Laura Wiese. I was extremely impressed with their acting abilities. They were able to transform themselves back in time 15 years in the past and were very believable.
The story starts out with the Millet family sending their daughter, Hazel to an all girls school in Central London. When Hazel walks into the classroom, she is intimidated and uncomfortable. She feels shy, alone and desperately wanted to make friends. But felt as if the other girls in the classroom knew each other.
That’s when Hazel met “Desk.” Desk, played by Nick Afka, was actually Hazel’s school desk but she imagined that he could talk. At first Desk was comforting to Hazel. She had a friend. Later, Hazel and Desk become intimately involved and yet toward the end of the production, Desk became a violent, abusive friend whom she feared yet loved, like an abused wife.
No one but Hazel was able to talk with Desk. No one knew that Desk had been a part of the school for generations and had seen young girls come and graduate from the school. Yet Desk, was extremely emotional and a vital part of the production. I was also impressed with Nick Afka’s acting ability. His soul and body got into the part of Desk and he was extremely emotional. During his monologue, it put chills down my spine!
At one point during the show, Hazel and Jenny played Hangman on the blackboard. To me, Hagman was symbolic for being the last one standing.
The show had a lot of movement in a small space where the audience could touch the actors and yet, director, Leta Tremblay, did a brilliant job moving the characters around to encompass the entire space. I also loved the costumes. The girls wore uniforms during school, slowly remove the uniforms and at graduation they wear cocktail dresses. The costumes showed the progression from childhood to adulthood and the credit goes to Costume Designer, Laura Wiese.
I think with a little tightening up on the script, this show can certainly go to off Broadway and possibly Broadway. The topic was mainstream and topical. There is so much talk about how girls bully each other psychologically and on the Internet. Even if you didn’t experience this, you may have experienced it through your daughter.
Hurry and get tickets for this show before it closes on March 27th. If you’re like me, you’ll be impressed with the acting, directing and writing of this production. If this production doesn’t go that route, this won’t be the last time we see Lucy Gillespie. She will certainly go places.
