The play ‘Scab’ debuted last week, and challenged ideas about sexuality, self-discovery, and forgiveness through surrealism, and connecting all people through the healing process.
‘Scab’, directed by Laura Smiley and written by Shelia Callaghan, debuted last week and ran from Monday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The story is about a gothic girl named Anima, played by senior emerging technology and theater acting major, Carina Iannarelli. Anima is depressed and twisted from the abandonment she has experienced in her life.
Her new roommate Christa, played by Amber Mikec, is her polar opposite. Christa starts out as a studious, bubbly, and sweet-hearted girl. They both grow with each other and learn something new about themselves through each other.
Throughout their journey together they learn deep hidden secrets about each other. Both Anima and Krista have desires, intimate desires.
That’s where the blurred lines of sexuality come into play. The play introduces the term “pansexual”-when one is not attracted to a person’s body, but to the intimate bond and relationship they have with someone, like the one shared between Anima and Christa. Throughout the play they both walk a fine line between not only caring and loving for each other, but also dealing with their personalities clashing at the same time. One wants what the other doesn’t, but at the same time they don’t want to lose the bond they share, and the people they have become because of each other.
‘Scab’ was performed through the genre of surrealism, which is when the real-life world mixes with elements of unusual scenes that would only happen in a dream. Anima’s memory was very unrealistic and seemed very dream-like.
Themes used such as a lawn ornament version of the Virgin Mary and the growth of a plant, which spontaneously came alive and interacted with the other characters in Anima and Christa’s apartment. Political science and history graduate actor Luke Chamberlain, 25, said that the surrealism in the play, “keeps you on you on your toes.”
Smiley has heard many interpretations from the audience of the symbolism played throughout the performance. Director and acting, voice and movement, and dramatic literature assistant professor Laura Smiley said.
“I love the challenges of how to bring these things out to life,” Smiley said.
Another way the play’s genre has been described was as “slam poetry” by Carina Iannarelli. Iannarelli explained that there was no puncuation throughout the script, so she had to make the fluency and conversational style come to life herself.
Amina, played by Carina Iannarelli, stews over her heartbreak with her ex-boyfriend after her roommate has an affair with him.
