Emotions run deep at Firehouse Theater with ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’

Powerful show features topnotch acting and direction

Tiny Beautiful Things, now playing at Firehouse Theater Company, touches on a variety of life’s challenges. Among the subjects covered include sex abuse, infidelity, parental desertion, miscarriages, fetishism and death. But the play is about much more than these headline-grabbing topics. It turns out to be a magical 90 minutes brought to life by a topnotch cast and director.

Written for the stage by Nia Vardalos and based on a book by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things has a totally unique premise for a theatrical piece. It is simply four actors reading letters to each other, and we listen to people writing to Sugar, the nom de plume of Cheryl Strayed. In actuality, Strayed wrote for an online magazine called “The Rumpus” from 2010 to 2012 as an advice columnist in the fashion of a modern-day Ann Landers. In the production I saw, Sugar was brilliantly played by Kelly Uhlenhopp. Other performances will feature Lisa Kraai.

Lisa Kraai plays the role of Sugar, alternating with Kelly Uhlenhopp.

As mentioned, the play is much more than sensationalism. It’s about emotional pain, excruciating loss, and yes, hope and forgiveness. Those writing to Sugar are living through every possible unimaginable crisis in their lives. An emotional pinnacle is reached toward the end of the play when Letter Writer #1 (Matt Hindmarch) recounts the death of his son struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in a list of crushing reasons not to live because of his unfathomable pain.  Letter Writer #3 (Joey Torrison) speaks of parental rejection in a depressed fashion after he reveals his true gender identity to his parents.  And Letter Writer #2 (Adrienne Martin-Fullwood) is crushed by the pain of losing a child. These are only three examples of the kinds of letters Sugar receives from her readers.

As Sugar, Uhlenhopp is up for every challenge she faces when confronted by the trio of Letter Writers. Sugar may initially struggle with her answers, but by responding to each letter she finds the magic words to enlighten, sometimes cajole, and ultimately tame the two-headed monster in the room. I have seen Kelly Uhlenhopp in no fewer than three productions recently and she tops herself each time she sets foot on stage.

Special mention must go to each of the three Letter Writers. All three successfully tackle the deep emotional depths called upon by the play. And their quick emotional turnaround is nothing short of miraculous. Each actor must jump from one hot topic to another in mere minutes and at times only seconds. And they do it with the ease of true masters of their craft.

As directed by Peter J Hughes, it is like watching a well-choreographed dance. Much of our focus falls on Sugar, but Hughes never forgets the importance of the other three actors and what they contribute to the overall performance. Hughes has energized the cast while highlighting moments of true pathos. He must be commended for directing this production with an overview that leaves no emotional stone unturned but is balanced with hope and even redemption.

Another thumbs-up goes to the lighting design of Steve Tangedal. The extremely well-lit stage helps focus our attention on the action at hand. Sugar’s living space was somewhat of a mystery to me. Very disorganized and filled with clutter, Sugar did not exude this type of living environment nor was it explained in the script. The costume design by Rachel Finely was more than appropriate.

During the final moments of the performance I attended, there was a reverberating silence among the audience members. This is a true indication of the spectacular heights Executive Producer Helen Hand and Firehouse Theater Company have reached with their production of Tiny Beautiful Things.