by Mike Hoban
Addict Shunned – By Judith Austin; Directed by Michael O’Halloran; Cast: Geoffrey Pingree, Saloni Kumar, Eunice Simmons, Bridget Haberecht, Joel Derby, Megan Ward, Miss Mary Mac. Presented by Avenue Stage at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave., Boston through July 28
One of the few positives that has come out of the opioid crisis is that with the high incidence of fatal overdoses cutting across all segments of society, addiction is no longer being solely associated with those from the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. And while it is a lot easier to stay in denial about the effects of alcoholism and prescription pill addiction as long the people who are afflicted can appear to be “normal” on the surface – not sleeping on the Boston Common with a pint of vodka in a brown paper bag in hand or robbing a liquor store to support their habit – the effects of opiate addiction are significantly more jarring. It’s a little harder to deny that someone has a problem when the family sees their bank account cleaned out or an otherwise healthy-appearing person dies suddenly.
Boston-based company Avenue Stage is presenting a powerful and compelling new addiction-themed production at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Addict Shunned, which takes us into the minds of a handful alcoholics and addicts in varying stages of their addiction via a series of monologues. These vignettes will have those that have been directly or indirectly affected by addiction nodding their heads in recognition, while those unfamiliar with the behaviors are likely to find them alternately fascinating and dumbfounding.
The play opens with Spiro, a janitor, sweeping up what we soon learn is a drug and alcohol detoxification unit, although one that bears little resemblance to the tonier treatment centers seen on television commercials. “This place is a dump,” he says, adding, “It’s my job to clean this shithole up. And you know what? I’m delighted to do it.” Spiro is a recovering addict/alcoholic, grateful for a second chance at life, and as we meet the characters that follow, we get a glimpse into the world that he escaped from, and see the source of his gratitude.
We meet the high achieving high school girl – ace student, star athlete – who breaks her arm, and begins a downward spiral as she falls in love with the pain killers given to her because they make her finally feel “normal”; there’s “Hard Candy”, a veteran of detox stays who won’t follow the protocol to stay clean and sober even though it means losing her kids to child protective services; the “Princess” who, although her family has committed her to the facility because of her out of control drinking, doesn’t think she belongs there because she’s got a home and a good job and doesn’t belong with “these people”; and a young homeless man who has been kicked out of yet another rehabilitation program for bad behavior and is contemplating his next move.
Each of the well-drawn characters gives their back story, which gives us insight into the thought processes of alcoholics and addicts – particularly the stunning levels of denial – and how the role of self-sabotage makes recovery from addiction such a difficult road. Playwright Judith Austin (who is also a nurse practitioner specializing in addiction) does not try to paint on overly sympathetic portrait of the addicts, which works brilliantly, as the addicts simply reveal their convoluted thinking, painting a complex picture that reveals what keeps them trapped in their addictions. The performances by the actors are uniformly solid, and their deliveries are painfully honest.
A couple of non-addict characters in this new work could use some fine tuning, however, as the portrayal of the overprescribing doctor, while accurate, is a bit glib, and the role of the personification of addiction as a motivational speaker could use some sharpening. Overall, the play works well as a theatrical piece, as well as a primer on addiction, and never has a preachy tone. And despite the serious nature of the subject matter, there is plenty of humor interspersed throughout. During the talkback, playwright Austin indicted that the play will be expanded from its current 65 minutes, and she will include more characters. Because of its honest portrayal of addiction, Addict Shunned is a must see for those affected by the disease, but it’s also a good take for the theater-going crowd. See it. For tickets and info, go to: http://www.avenuestage.org/
