On October 3, 2024 I attended Jenn Freeman’s exceptional “moving memoir” titled Is It Thursday Yet? at Santa Monica’s BroadStage. The term moving memoir came to my mind because it is the story of Freeman’s struggles throughout her life with what was eventually diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Freeman was 33 years old when she was diagnosed and through dance, theater, and video she poignantly shares just how difficult that journey was without making one feel anything but empathy for this courageous woman.
When the audience entered, the stage resembled a storage area with a number of small television sets, a ladder, mobile light fixtures, drums, a clock, a small cabinet, among other things along with a white sheet hanging upstage center. As the evening progressed, one figured out that these “props” were primarily items from her remembered past and utilized to present her memories to the viewer.
Is It Thursday Yet? was Co-created, Co-directed and directed by Sonya Tayeh with live performances by Holland Andrews on drums and the multi-talented singer, vocalist and sound designer Melanie Chen Cole. All these elements combined with Freeman’s remarkable dancing and acting drew the viewer into Freeman’s world and did not let go until moments after her very moving final monologue that was captured on live camera as she sat crouched in a small closet decorated for Christmas.
The images that coursed through my mind as I sat captured by what was unfolding before me were far too many to describe and if I did, it would ruin the joy of experiencing this performance. Imagine having your entire life played out before you and trying to cope with all those memories and emotions that were racing throughout your body and mind. That is as close as I can get to describing how Freeman’s work moved me.
Old movies of Freeman as a child were projected onto the white sheet as well as on what appeared to be ten televisions of varying sizes – some suspended above the stage. Freeman was both performer and stagehand during Is It Thursday Yet? She carried a large A frame ladder across the stage, opened it and climbed up to use a rope that allowed three large white clouds to be lifted into view. She re-positioned the theater lights and camera in front of a swivel chair where she sat to be examined, or what to her felt like being interrogated. Someone asked her what she saw and felt while holding a mango. The voice of a friend asked her what she had been up to since they last saw one another and Freeman could not respond in a “normal” way because that was not how her brain was wired.
Freeman moved seamlessly through dance, movement, and rearranging the props and furniture. It was as if one was seeing her life quickly moving across the stage revealing her innermost thoughts, emotions and fears as she grew into womanhood still carrying her childhood and perhaps asking that child for her love and support.
One memorable scene is when Freeman’s OCD that comes with ASD kicked in while she was arranging green, red, and yellow covered books by color into a bookcase. Everything went smoothly until a book with a black and white checkered cover appeared, stopping Freeman in her tracks. The audience laughed nervously, because by then they also knew how difficult this one item was for Freeman.
Freeman knew how audiences might react to her story and at one point she allowed them to have a 7th inning song and dance interlude – something that the majority of the audience took advantage of. Like Freeman, they too were on a roller coaster of sensations.
Kudos go out to the two extraordinary musicians/performers Holland Andrews and Price McGuffey who not only enhanced the evening with their music but who also performed with such dynamic ease! Andrews’ voice range is phenomenal and she sometimes brought tears to my eyes.
The Scenic Design for Is It Thursday Yet? was by Rachel Hauch; Freeman’s beautiful costume was designed by Márion Talán de la Rosa; and the complex and stunning lighting design was by Cha See.
Is It Thursday Yet? is raw, emotional, and divinely constructed and performed. If this amazing show plays near you, I highly recommend that you go see it.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: (L-R) Holland Andrews, Jenn Freeman, Price McGuffey in Is It Thursday Yet? – Photo by Matthew Murphy.