-Brenda Hillegas
photo by John C. Hawthorne
Something’s happening in the fictional world where sandblasted takes place. Black women are losing limbs- an arm casually falls, a nose. Fingers drop into the sand. But the women, no matter how stressed they are, just pick up their pieces, throw some tape over the wounds and move on. Not so unrealistic after all, right?
sandblasted , by Charly Evon Simpson and directed by Cheyenne Barboza for Theatre Horizon, highlights what it means to be a Black woman in the world today and how their concerns, rights, health, are often just swept under the rug (like a fallen toe in the sand here). Odessa (Jess Johnson) and Angela (Morgan Charèce) have this mysterious condition in common, but not much else. Odessa is a bit of a free spirit, a “YOLO” type who enjoys her time no matter what the cost. Angela is too cautious, covering her body is clothing and staying in the shade not to draw attention to the inevitable.
The new friends go on a journey to improve their bodies, mentally and physically, through the help of Adah (Zuhairah)- a much older woman who has never lost a single body part. Adah is portrayed as an Orpah type, a self-help guru that everyone looks up to and seeks wisdom from because she is unlike the rest of the women in the world. She must know the secret! Together, the three of them travel through the sand to seek answers and search for the elusive cure.
Don’t forget to take a program home with you. It features a spread on ways to support Black women, their businesses, and the dimensions of heeling. It’s a great read with local resources.
sandblasted runs through June 4th with tickets available here.
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