Last night I was lucky to snatch some PWYC (pay-what-you-can) tickets for Central Works’ world premiere of Hearts of Palm, penned by their resident playwright, Patricia Milton, and directed by Gary Graves.
Set on the fictitious island nation of Marititu, the play addresses both the consequences of corporate colonialism and having a one-night stand with a colleague, but it does so without getting preachy. I was intrigued when I read the synopsis online (the strikeouts are theirs):
A small Southeast Asian island is
invadedvisited bya gang of land grabbersa team of corporate negotiators intent on expanding a palm oil plantation. When a company rep goes rogue and joins the local rebel resistance, Viola Wells takes charge as Lead Negotiator. While fending off the unwanted advances of a corporate teammate, “Vi” must come to terms with the true nature of her employer: multi-national conglomerate, Empire Holdings, Ltd.
Milton was inspired by the Girl Scouts. When GSA discovered the shady business practices most often used to obtain palm oil, the girls in green campaigned to get rid of it in their famous cookies.
Many of the humorous lines in the play are delivered by Central Works regular John Patrick Moore as Strap, the none-too-bright unrequited lover, and the company’s co-director Jan Zvaifler as Helen, the trigger happy, Red Bull-fueled ex-marine. I greatly enjoyed Michelle Talgarow’s character as well. Her solemn demeanor as the local government official contrasted well with the absurdity of the situation. And kudos to Erin Mei-Ling Stuart who stepped into the role of Brittany when the originally cast Rinabeth Apostol had to bow out for personal reasons.
I really appreciate theater that tackles a serious subject with wit and humor. I mean, you might as well have some fun while you’re learning something, right?
Hearts of Palm is playing at the Berkeley City Club on Thursdays through Sundays until August 14. (And Thursdays are PWYC.)
The View from a Berkeley Optimist 