(l to r) Ashley Marie Ortiz and Vanessa Butler in ‘Scissoring.’ (Photo: Carol Rosegg)
By April Stamm
Love that seems never-ending, outside forces that come in to pick away at that love, questions about the real strength of the love to begin with… it’s a story that has been told countless times and will continue to be told because—when done well—it makes for truthful and compelling storytelling. Intar Theatre’s Scissoring by playwright Christina Quintana is certainly one of those stories, but here’s the catch (gasp): it’s a same-sex couple. Not necessarily shocking or unusual, but a perspective sadly undertold, particularly when it comes to women. While INTAR should be applauded for tackling the subject matter, it’s not necessarily a free pass regarding its execution. Though Scissoring has some questionable structural and stylistic elements, it also does some things very right.
We meet Abigail and Josie in New Orleans. They are a young couple very different from each other: Abigail (Vanessa R. Butler) is a serious academic, Josie (Ashley Marie Ortiz) a free-spirited artist. They appear in love and committed to one another. Times are tough, though, and Abigail has been looking for a teaching job and wrestling with going back to school to get her Ph.D. in history.
Feeling it is her only option and also because it’s an environment in which she feels safe and connected, Abigail accepts a position teaching history at a Catholic high school in NOLA’s Uptown neighborhood. The principal, Elaine (Kim Brockington), respects and supports Abigail in her career, noticing her work ethic, teaching prowess and intelligence. Elaine is also proud to encourage another person of color to rise in the ranks as she did, in a such a whitewashed school.
(l to r) Kim Brockington and Vanessa Butler in ‘Scissoring.’ (Photo: Carol Rosegg)
There’s just one problem, Abigail hides the fact that she is a lesbian from Elaine and nearly everyone at the school. This eats away a Josie, and eventually, the relationship crumbles and Abigail begins to question everything around her, sees visions of historical idols Eleanor Roosevelt (Elise Santora) and Lorena Hickok (Marie Louise Guinier), and starts to believe the school PA system (Ryan Vincent Anderson) is talking directly to her.
As a story of a couple facing odds and struggling through them, Scissoring rings true. As a piece of social commentary about acceptance of LGBTQ couples and families and the place of religion and faith, Scissoring struggles. It feels like Quintana’s script has more to say than director Estefanía Fadul is able to bring to the stage. Butler and Ortiz have chemistry as a couple, and their path makes sense and is honest. What falls short is the kind of magic realism that the figures from the past and the personified PA system add to the production—elements that seem to want to make the story universal, yet the forced folderol is unnecessary. Although Guinier and Santora’s portrayal of the supposed couple from the past is acted with grace and avoids the pitfalls of comic impersonation, their presence is extraneous.
Ryan Vincent Anderson in ‘Scissoring.’ (Photo: Carol Rosegg)
Further distancing the production from making a statement of inclusion as it seems to want to do is the portrayal of Celia Laroque (Ally Carey), another teacher at the school who becomes Abigail’s only confident. The two end up having a brief affair even though Abigail is still torn about Josie, and Celia is married to a man. This interaction and the scenes that follow play out comically, although the words Celia says aren’t humorous. Celia genuinely cares for Abigail and feels a connection to her even though she has only been with men before. Apparently, this is hysterical to Abigail, the director, and many of the audience members. The message about the struggles that many LGBTQ people feel about finding a place in the world and within themselves becomes muddled.
A love story is nearly always a worthwhile launching point for the stage, especially like the core relationship in Scissoring, which rings so true and meaningful. However, a more nuanced perspective could be taken when structuring a story as a parable for a community that continues to fight for its identity and a sense of inclusion within the world at large.
Scissoring
Intar Theatre
500 W. 52nd Street, NYC
Through June 30
April Stamm is a theater, food, and lifestyle journalist. She is a regular contributor to The Broadway Blog and EDGE Media Network and is a Chef Instructor at the International Culinary Center. Follow her on Instagram at @aprilstamm.
