A graphic story of teenage pregnancy both poignant and shocking

High school isn’t for sissies; nor is Benchmark Theatre’s Dry Land.

Although Benchmark selected the play before the recent reversal of Roe vs Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, this gut-wrenching story about young girls struggling with an unwanted pregnancy feels ripped right out of today’s headlines.

Director Abby Apple Boes has chosen a realistic, and quite graphic, approach to the topic – which may be too much for some. One couple left the theater amidst the most intense scene during our visit opening weekend.

But for those who stayed – and most were so riveted they didn’t even notice the departure – the intensity and realism brought a shock and awe that led to one of the most unusual scenes I’ve ever experienced in live theater: complete silence. No stirrings. No coughing. No shuffling. Stunned, uncomfortable silence as the audience processed the previous scene while a lone actor shuffled about on the stage.

But I get ahead of myself – and the story.

The Benchmark production is the regional premier of Dry Land. The play was selected as part of the organization’s 2021/2022 “Aftermath” season in response to the forced shut-down of all cultural organizations during the pandemic and the resulting social upheaval.

The play highlights the timeless struggles of teenage sexuality, high-school angst, female friendships and abortion within a contemporary setting. And Benchmark’s flawless production is both raw and powerful.

Emotional roller coaster

 The majority of the play takes place in a Florida high school girl’s locker room after swim practice. Benchmark’s set is stark and simple with two banks of metal lockers lining the walls, a bench in the middle and a shower to the side. Scenic designer Merit Willey’s drab, almost monochrome, backdrop doesn’t distract from the intense drama taking place on stage.

Former high-school cheerleader Amy’s brief fling with a boy who has already moved on has left her pregnant and alone. Florida law requires her mother to be notified if she obtains an abortion, which isn’t an option for her. In desperation she enlists the help of Ester, the shy “new girl” and fellow swimmer on the team.

“Punch me!” Amy demands in the opening line. Ester, taken aback, hesitates as Amy points to her stomach and exclaims even louder, “Punch me!!”

Despite Amy’s demanding and brusque demeanor, lonely outsider Ester finds herself drawn to the other girl, and together they scheme and struggle to find a way to end the pregnancy using DIY solutions Amy has researched online. It’s a secretive world of adolescents in crisis and is built upon complicity, gratitude and resentment. Like young girls everywhere, they think they know it all and hide beneath a veneer of sophistication and indifference, when in fact they’re just young and vulnerable seeking acceptance and support.

Nothing comes easy in this unlikely friendship that mirrors true-life as it careens from one emotion to another as the girls alternatively cling to and repel each other. One moment Amy is telling ribald jokes and sharing introspections with Ester, and the next she literally turns her back to her new friend while wisecracking with her popular girlfriend and feigning all is fine.

While the two may be privy to each other’s secrets, they’re not quite sure how they feel about each other. Their unlikely friendship swings from tender to caustic and from funny to harrowing, often all at the same time. Between the affection and anger swirls an intense passion, and even a hint of sexual attraction.

As they draw closer together, the bonds of the newly formed friendship are tested and re-tested.

Photo: Michael Ensminger

Clear-eyed approach

Few writers are willing to take on a subject as controversial as abortion with such candor. Nor can many do justice to the muddled, erratic state of adolescent hormonal flux. But playwright Ruby Rae Spiegel has accomplished both in Dry Land, her first full-length play. It premiered Off-Broadway in 2014 when she was just 21. She actually wrote it while she was a student at Yale University.

It may be her young age that provided the insightful clarity that makes this bittersweet play so realistic and compelling without feeling overwrought or condescending. Spiegel’s even-handed approach to burgeoning sexuality, teenage insecurities, societal and internal pressures and the mercurial changes in temperament are quite realistic. Even the dialogue avoids the typical teenage drama and doesn’t feel forced.

Not a typical coming-of-age story

And don’t be fooled. Although abortion plays a crucial role, there is much more to this play — including some very funny and poignant moments. It’s definitely not your typical coming-of-age story as it deftly captures the complexities of friendship and the fears of the future that grip kids arriving at the threshold of adulthood. And while Spiegel doesn’t take sides on the abortion debate, the storyline clearly illustrates how restricting access can lead to riskier alternatives.

Benchmark’s Executive Director & Producer Haley Johnson noted that the theater’s creative team worked with both woman and the LGBTQ+ community to ensure that the material was treated with sensitivity.

Flawless execution

Kudos to the entire cast and crew for taking on such a difficult subject. Director Abby Apple Boes, who certainly knows her way around the stage, outdid herself with a tight, focused production that doesn’t hold back. Every detail is carefully thought out and flawlessly executed.

For example, during the blackouts between scenes, sound designer Madison Kuebler did a seamless job of sourcing contemporary music to maintain the mood and intensity without distracting the audience.

Boes also put together an outstanding cast who plunged into this challenging story with both their hearts and souls. All three female teenagers were played by newbies to the Benchmark, and their chemistry together worked magic on the stage. The other two roles, both males, were perfectly cast with seasoned pros.

Aria Summer Wallace (Amy), no stranger to acting but relatively new to the Denver scene, couldn’t have picked a stronger role for her local stage debut. Amy is a challenging character who uses her sexuality as both a weapon and a shield. One moment she is surly and caustic, and the next charming and vulnerable.

Wallace’s skillful portrayal managed to keep Amy likeable in a situations where she was anything but. She skillfully navigated the roiling teenage emotions that sweep through the character. It was a make-or-break part, and she nailed it.

Sophie Berger’s character, Ester, could easily have been overwhelmed by the passion and energy that Wallace brought to Amy. But Berger more than managed to hold her own as the mousy newcomer whose awkwardness on land belies her fierce competitiveness in the water.

Watching shy, hesitant Ester find her voice as the show progresses provides a much-needed ballast to counter the mounting intensity. Berger brings a realism and poignancy to the role that keeps Ester from being a doormat and makes her emotional progress believable. She skillfully and seamlessly navigates the entire spectrum of emotions by the end of the play.

Karen Gonzalez, as Reba, rounded out the trio’s strong performance as more of a stereotypical high school girl too busy playing her expected role in life to realize those around her are lost or vulnerable. Gonzalez’s hair-swinging, Valley-girl-like cadence was the perfect foil to the intensity of the other two.

The only scene away from the locker room provides an opportunity to discover more about Ester. During a nerve-racking visit to Florida State for a swim trial, she stays with her mother’s friend’s son, Victor (Stevie Wise), whom she’s never met before.

Stevie Wise as Victor and Sophie Berger as Ester in ‘Dry Land’ | Photo: Michael Ensminger

The dorky Victor is almost as socially awkward as Ester, and his bumbling but intimate revelations and attraction to Ester provide her with some clarity about herself and Amy. Wise brings a kinetic energy to the role, that combined with his charming naivete, makes Victor endearing and prevents him from being just a two-dimensional supporting character.

The final, and certainly not last, cast member, Peter J. Hughes, was a delightful surprise. When I reviewed the cast bios before the performance, I was curious why an actor with over 30 years of experience would take on the role of a janitor – a nonspeaking role at that.

But, without giving away too much, Hughes was the perfect choice for such a key role in the production. Only someone with that much experience and confidence can hold an audience with such a strong, nuanced, portrayal.

Riptide

Dry Land poignantly leads us through the ebb and flow of adolescence to shine a spotlight on the friendships that help us keep our heads above water when we’re treading deep water. And it’s also a sharp reminder that abortion is still a riptide that pulls and breaks around us.