The press materials for Integration: Creating Art from Life's Chaos, written and performed by Jack Dawkins, say, “This show is for those who understand that art doesn’t come from a place of ease. We’ll explore how life’s darkest moments can spark the brightest creative fires and how the journey of an artist is a testament to resilience and unwavering passion… Welcome to the journey.”
After seeing “Integration” at the United Solo Theatre Festival, I can’t help but think I saw a different show. It was an autobiographical recounting of a man’s failed marriage and the questionable choices he made afterward. But the lack of a compelling arc or resolution hindered its value as a story worth telling.
The set was sparse – a black box with a single stool – and Dawkins came on stage in a checkered button-down and jeans and told his story to the audience. Solo plays don’t need elaborate multimedia, sets, or costumes to be successful. (Raoul Bhaneja presented a brilliant solo Hamlet in jeans and a t-shirt with the house lights on full at the fall 2022 festival.) They do need a captivating story, however, and a character or point of view that influences the audience in some way. The character of Jack comes off as privileged and un-self-aware. Jack’s trip to Costa Rica to do ayahuasca with a shaman gives us hope that Dawkins is going to uncover something radical. But as with the rest of the story, Jack tells instead of showing, and the telling falls flat.
When Jack’s beloved dog dies in the end, and he is devastated and moved to reframe his entire life vis-à-vis the love he had for the dog, I felt little for him. The audience has watched him, over the course of an hour that represented years of his life, undervalue his wife and newborn child, uproot their lives because he wasn’t feeling it, and pop off on a soul-searching adventure that ends with little character growth or movement. When Dawkins wraps up the story, his journey feels unfinished.
The audience really enjoyed the show, but I suspect most of them knew the artist personally and were, therefore, more invested than the average viewer is going to be. Although this theatrical venture was a bit of a miss, Dawkins has a stage presence, and certainly a passion for theater. He could really benefit from collaborating with a strong director who could help him hone his story.
"Integration: Creating Art from Life's Chaos"
Directed by Paolo Laskero
October 19, 2024
United Solo Festival, Theatre Row, NYC
The 17th United Solo Festival
September 24 – November 17, 2024
Theatre Row
410 West 42nd (btw 9th and 10th Avenue)
STEPHANIE EAGAN is a professional writer based in NJ. A fan of every type of live performance imaginable, from taiko drumming to political performance art, she travels the tri-state area and beyond in search of music, art, theater, and excellent coffee.
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