New York Review: Moxie Arts NY's “From A to Double D” Presented by IRT Theater
Natalie Rine, Associate New York Critic
“From A to Double D” is the story of one woman's life, one bra at a time. Devon Hayes is holding an auction, speaking frankly to us as she ascertains our interest in buying what she’s selling: her bras, neatly hanging on a clothing rack upstage for display. We hold dry-erase bidding paddles, and with them, have the power to move the story along from scene to scene, bra to bra. More for identification rather than indicative of real money, the paddles allow for strong improv from our auctioneer Don Archer, played with sturdy, searing precision by playwright Mandy Murphy in a performance giving strong Matthew McConaughey Texas smoothness.
Murphy’s commendable auctioneer chanting lulls the “buying” audience, but something sinister lurks underneath. With each sale, Devon (a powerhouse Marisa Jones) becomes increasingly agitated, breaking the rhythm of the auction sections by stepping back into a memory of her past experiences at the time of wearing the bra for sale, or stopping the auction show entirely in discordant flashes of pain. Aided by Elizabeth M. Stewart (Lighting Design), Twi McCallum (Sound Design), and Margaret Lee (Projection Design), Murphy’s juxtaposition of scenes flows seamlessly, creating an intricate, interwoven masterpiece on inner demons, heartbreak, and the female-identifying experience.
Through the sixty-five-minute piece, we follow Devon through puberty to present day. Along the way there’s her flippant friend Brennan (a heartbreaking and hilarious Abby Knipp) and colleague-turned-lover Jacob (Neev Bar-David). As the auction increases in value, so too do the stakes. Murphy’s script numbs with sweet snippets of honest friendship, love, and adolescence, then pricks you like a needle with sharp, scary precision when tragedy strikes.
Without giving spoilers, the tragedy in question invokes medical concern for the characters—in particular, those identifying as female and who have spent the last hour loving and hating their breasts. Just as the play leaves gaps for Devon to grapple with the crumbling reality around her, I was reminded of the gaps in medicine and medicinal research for women in real life. One of the oft-cited consequences of our disproportional lack of understanding of how disease impacts women are that clinicians are more likely to dismiss women’s health concerns or attribute their pain to emotional distress. Looking back at Devon in the opening scenes, this is evident as she bops around headbanging to and yelling over her favorite music, much to the chastisement and disdain of Don. The implication that Devon is just a petulant child seeps through every word of Don’s ever-so-crisp Southern clapbacks, establishing a clear power dynamic: Don is running the show, Devon is the one in need. As anyone who has contributed to an auction (or let’s be honest just walked into a Buffalo Exchange) knows, the power dynamic between seller and buyer—or doctor and patient- is precarious. You never know what might happen when it’s your turn.
Director Margaret Lee uses this feeling of uncertainty to balance the production on cracking thin ice. As each of Devon’s bras go up for sale, the cracks appear slowly then all at once in a shattering blast. What would you give up in order to have the body you want? Would that change if you knew how your life would end up?
Moxie Arts NY's “From A to Double D” Presented by IRT Theater
“From A to Double D” is written by Mandy Murphy, directed by Margaret Lee, and produced by Moxie Arts NY. The cast includes Marisa Jones, Mandy Murphy, Abby Knipp, and Neev Bar-David. Production team includes Sally Burgos (Production Stage Manager), Sarah Connolly (Asst. Stage Manager and Directing Intern), Selby Souza (Set/Props Design), Elizabeth M. Stewart (Lighting Design), Jessica McHugh (Costume Design), Twi McCallum (Sound Design), and Margaret Lee (Projection Design). Moxie Arts NY Producers Kayla Friend and Madelyn Paquette are joined by line producer Rachel Andres.
“From A to Double D” runs at the IRT (154 Christopher St. NYC #3B (third floor)) until February 2. Run Time: 65 minutes, no intermission. For more information, please visit: https://www.moxiearts.org/
Photo Credit: Moxie Arts NY