Crown Hill Cemetary: Surprising and forgettable but good
When I was growing up, my first experience with death was the death of Heidi, my guinea pig. She was killed by my lop-eared rabbit, Brownie. Of course, this wasn't a planned "hit" or anything. When we were home, we let them wander around the house and they always got along. They even ignored each other. What I gathered from my mother was she had startled Brownie and the rabbit jumped up on top of Heidi's cage.
The cage collapsed, killing Heidi. I am not sure if this story is true since my mother was the only witness. But, as Lisa Haas points out in her monologue, sometimes parents tell their children that death is "just like sleeping". My mother didn't tell me that exactly, I guess, but my mother could have rose-coloured the event.
That brings us to Lisa Haas' monologue, Crown Hill Cemetary. Overall, it is not stupendously amazing but it isn't boring or terrible either. It is obvious that Lisa Haas spent much time thinking and creating this performance - and, how could she not. I think her personality wouldn't let her not create this piece. It is Lisa's persona and enthusiasm that sells the performance. Her show opens with a warning and a promise to the audience that, should the mood become sombre, she has a grab bag of random non-death related stories that she can tell to break the mood. Audience members could stop the play for "a break" and be told a different story. Not overly original but, who cares, it works. The play was stopped a couple of times and we learned a little about about chicken diapers and shit. Those stories were pulled at random but, somehow, I suspect the bag have stories that skirt the subject matter of death by using similar terms - just enough to make sure the audience doesn't forget why they are there. Of course, these could have just been the luck of the draw. She goes on to talk about the deaths of loved ones, family pets, how she fears death, and how some of her family members take photos of their dead relatives. Along for the ride are mentions of and the gradual building of Crown Hill Cemetary. The stories are cliched in that any North American kid growing up has the same or similar experiences around death. But, again, who cares - it works. She sells it well and in a subtle way.
There is a lot of great imagery in this play and I won't ruin it by sharing much of it here but I quite enjoyed picturing people standing over, under, around, and beside opens coffins attempting to get "the perfect shot". In the title of my review, I mention this piece if forgettable. I don't mean to say that once you leave the theatre (or coffee house) that you will forget the monologue. You won't. It will stick with you a while because, even though the content is cliched, the content is also truth. Death can be scary and is very scary for kids growing up - even if those kids are in their 30s. That childhood fear never really leaves you. You may forget the play but you won't forget about death. This play reminds you just enough to get scared again.
This piece is very watchable and entertaining as her presence is comforting and friendly. Hey, she even shared snacks with the audience about half way through. Corn bugles and nacho chips. I recommend you check it out.
PS: Thanks to Erika for the photo!
For showtime information bury yourself here.
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