Review by Andrea Bunjamin
Arrogance. Definition: an exaggeration of one’s own worth or overbearing pride.
In this three-person play by Olivia Clement, the story looks at the choices we make towards our loved-ones and the ripple effects they imprint. In Iowa, a soon-to-be mother walks alone in a backyard under the brilliant light of a supermoon. Time is ticking. Having just moved to the small town, Amber (Whitney Richard), braces herself for this life-altering change. She develops a kinship with her neighbour, Erin (Linden Wilkinson), and their bond is tested as both their buried past rises to the surface. Told through a series of flashbacks, we follow Amber during a holiday trip where she visits her Father (Alan Glover) as pieces of their tumultuous relationship simmer.
In her writing, Clement has kindly established the themes of estrangement by focusing on each character’s insecurities in the role we call ‘parenthood’. As their friendship develops, we can clearly see what the two women seek from each other and how their companionship pushes them to make things better. The conversations performed by Richard and Wilkinson feel nothing short of gentle, both of them seemingly representing two mirrors of motherhood. Glover’s portrayal showcases a man with a laid back personality but who also has a volatile history, a contrast that Amber has to contend with.
There is no doubt that this production directed by Lucinda Gleeson brings a lot of heart. Though with that being said, there was something about the plot’s arc that felt a bit missing. Such as a concrete escalation of tension in Amber’s narrative, and there were times where it seemed unclear what parts of the present triggered her remembering her past. As an audience member, I wished the show had leaned more into its charming symbols as motifs throughout the entire performance. Objects like the moon, whales, and dahlias earning more significant meaning. And despite its jarring title, the word ‘arrogance’ doesn’t necessarily come first to my mind when I think about the flaw that ties these three characters together.
Part of the appeal in this play is how the idea of ‘paradise’ is aesthetically entertained. How every scene feels like we are stepping into a memory. Which makes it evermore heartbreaking when we see Amber in a conflicting moment as someone who unwittingly forgets. Sophie Parker’s lighting design adds so much allure to these themes, while sending us to settings like the warmer tones of Chiang Mai, Thailand to the luminous nights of Iowa. Soham Apte’s platformed set of a backyard filled with earth and planted black dahlias provided a minimal space that allowed its actors to move nimbly in the outdoors. Baran Yildiz’s music compositions move like soft waves to the rhythms of Amber’s inner thoughts - tender, sorrowful, and dreamy. His handpan melodies capture and transport us into a deep state of longing for something that feels like…peace. And has most definitely lingered with me after the show.
In its essence, The Arrogance is a show that reminds us how forgiveness is a decision we choose to make everyday and how its painful grasps on us can lessen with time.
Image Credit: Georgia Brogan
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