The experience of watching a solo performance of a harrowing script, where one woman eloquently and passionately describes a tragic, physically and emotionally violent encounter lasting five months is both challenging and cathartic as we, as spectators, bear witness to the deep psychological impact of this true story -  a story that "shatters conventions and delivers a chilling and unforgettable exploration of survival and storytelling." < nowtoronto.com > 

The addition of an unconventional and powerful staging strategy, whereby the performer lip syncs to interview tapes from the actual victim, gives the overall phenomenon a startling and highly engaging element that consistently evokes a strong sense of being both present and absent - a kind of Brechtian 'Alienation Effect' that paradoxically brings us closer to, and distances us from, the actual events that unfold over the course of this 75 minute tour de force. This simultaneous distance/cum proximity allows for a roller coaster of emotion and pure theatrical experience that creates a dual consciousness for the performer and the spectator as they experience both physical acting and the recorded voice.

Jordan Baker as Dana H gives a brilliant performance as she runs the gamut of emotion through subtle shades of both horror and a kind of resigned, casually gripping presence as she remains seated in the middle of a Motel room and recounts Dana's story. There are times when one almost forgets that the words are recorded and the performer's lips are moving in perfect sync as Baker gives impeccable physical expression to the taped interviews conducted by Higginbotham's son.

Scenic design by Andrew Boyce, set in a room replete with soft nostalgic shades of green and pink, further conjures this engaging distance that provides a softly eerie environment for the words to unfold within. A perfectly made bed stage left, covered in the typical, explosively drab nonchalance of cheap Motel decor, looms large as an evocative prop framing the solitary action created by the voice of Dana Higginbotham, "a chaplain in a psychiatric ward, who was abducted by one of her patients and held captive in a series of Florida motel rooms for five months." < nowtoronto.com > 

RUNNING AT  FACTORY THEATRE UNTIL MAY 14th THIS CROWS THEATRE PRODUCTION IS A NOT TO BE MISSED "RIVETING, CUTTING-EDGE DRAMA" now.com THAT MOVES BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF CONVENTIONAL THEATRE AND MAKES FOR A TRULY ENGAGING AND ORIGINAL THEATRE EXPERIENCE