In Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s world premiere of “Do Something Pretty” by Melissa Ross, a box television blares with the sounds of the early 1990s, from MTV to “Beverly Hills, 90210.” For viewers of a certain age, the evening channel-surfing may bring to mind a public service announcement common at the time: “It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?” Although we don’t hear it in Eric Backus’ sound design, this question mirrors the sea of anxieties in which three teenage characters are adrift. A young girl from their small Massachusetts town has recently gone missing, their own parents are frequently absent or chronically ill, and the weight they have to bear seems unfairly heavy.
With Jessica Fisch directing a four-person cast, Rivendell’s production touches on difficult aspects of adolescence related to sexual exploration, disordered eating, money troubles and caregiving responsibilities. This is a play that takes young people and their problems seriously, while incorporating occasional humor into the script and direction. Despite engaging performances, though, the characters’ motivations don’t always ring true, leading to some frustrating and unconvincing plot developments.
The opening scene begins with an extended dialogue between 13-year-old Phoebe (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and her older half-sister’s friend, 19-year-old Jason (Reilly Oh). Lounging side-by-side on a floral couch in Phoebe’s cramped family home (scenic design by Lindsay Mummert), the talkative girl crunches Doritos and watches TV while Jason tries to listen to his Walkman as he waits for 18-year-old Evie (Jocelyn Zamudio) to return from her waitressing shift. Jason and Evie are longtime friends — though he wants more from the relationship — but Evie’s leaving soon for college and hasn’t been returning his calls, hence his showing up at her house and waiting.
Mallen Kupferer, currently a high school senior, is the daughter of two founding Rivendell ensemble members and has acted at professional theaters in Chicago and in films such as “Ghostlight” and “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” She brings innocence, curiosity and insecurity to the role of Phoebe in her Rivendell debut. Recently seen in the world premiere of “White Rooster” at Lookingglass Theatre, Oh manages to be both sympathetic and frightening as Jason, a quintessential outsider in the harsh social sphere of high school. His shaggy curls, which often overshadow his eyes, lend Jason a sense of inscrutability, as if he wants to hide from a world that’s not been kind to him.
Spoilers ahead for an uncomfortable development that happens partway through the first act: Jason begins making out with the underage Phoebe, and further escalation seems likely until Evie walks in on them (intimacy design by Lucy Carapetyan). Of course, Evie immediately erupts in anger, but here’s where things start to feel far-fetched. Despite Evie’s protectiveness towards her little sister, to whom she acts as a stand-in parent in their turbulent household, she appears to get over this shocking discovery quickly. In fact, she doesn’t even wait to make sure Jason leaves the house before she goes to a party with her college boyfriend, a cartoonishly sexist bro-type named Matt (Jasper Johnson). This is the first of several decisions that seem out of character for Evie.
The rest of the play continues through the night and into the pre-dawn hours, when Evie returns from her date and finds Jason still on the couch, where Phoebe had asked him to stay so she wouldn’t be home alone. We learn more of Evie and Jason’s backstory through their ensuing conversations; both are desperate to leave their hometown and find a fresh start elsewhere, but they have very different visions for the future. Tensions mount, especially when Matt reenters the picture, and Max Fabian’s fight choreography creates some unsettling moments.
For those of us who came of age pre-Internet, or at least pre-smartphones, it’s easy to romanticize growing up without the pressures of social media and addictive algorithms. “Do Something Pretty” reminds us that adolescence has always been tough, in ways that are both similar to and different from the issues facing kids today. Parents may not need the nightly news to remind them to locate their children anymore — there are apps for that now — but there are many ways for kids to feel unmoored, whether in analog or digital worlds. Uneven character development aside, Ross’ play makes you feel for these damaged kids and hope that better days are ahead for them.
Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
Review: “Do Something Pretty” (2.5 stars)
When: Through June 6
Where: Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge Ave.
Running time: 2 hours
Tickets: $38 at rivendelltheatre.org
