Stage 212 — Attraction in LaSalle

Just saw the performance of "Kitchen Witches" tonight, and while I thought the play and acting itself was wonderful, I have a few things that did not sit well with me.

During the first act the character of the camera man smokes a cigarette on set while another character goes through the stage and sprays a ton of aerosol air freshener. I get this was likely meant to be a gag, but the smell was overwhelming in such a small, enclosed place. I was sitting in back. But I could hear people further to the front complaining about it when it was happening. If I had been closer to the sources of the smells, I would've left and not came back and missed the rest of the fun.

I went and talked to the producer and was informed the cigarette was a stage cigarette, and was not a "real" cigarette. And she was pretty sure it was made of Cocoa. I greatly appreciate she was willing to come and talk to me. Still, I am concerned about the potential hazards from the "cigarette" and heavy use of air freshener. I did a quick search, and while I am by no means an expert in things, from the American Cancer Society, "Even herbal cigarettes with no tobacco give off tar, particulates, and carbon monoxide and are dangerous to your health." (www[dot]cancer[dot]org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/is-any-type-of-smoking-safe[dot]html). As for the air freshener, the smell was very strong and could've triggered eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and dizziness, allergic reactions, or could have aggravated someone with asthma. (acaai[dot]org/news/unplug-indoor-pollutants-breath-fresh-air & www[dot]epa[dot]gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality)

The theater is small and not obviously ventilated. Use of these products without warning is not in the best interest of the audience, nor is it really the safest choice for the cast as they've likely been exposed to these irritants and triggering substances multiple times during other performances. I ended up with a headache and found it hard to pay attention to the play and enjoy it like I had wanted to. I personally do not think the gag needed to actually use an aerosol air freshener and could've been done just as well with a regular spray bottle filled with water. And the actor who played the camera man did not need to actually light the "cigarette" to get across that he was smoking. Or the gag itself could've been replaced with something else that wouldn't necessitate either product.

The only other complaint I have is the "mammy" bit. It was...not very tasteful to say the least. I have no doubt that it was part of the original script, but keeping it in the production rather than changing it to something less racially charged was unnecessary. One could argue that the play is a product of the time it was written, but the setting is intended to be modern day. To the best of my knowledge from searching the play was written in the early 2000s, and if the camera man could be modernized to have a smart phone on him the whole time and to be taking selfies, then the "mammy" scene could've been rewritten to better fit what is considered acceptable nowadays. (Information about the "mammy" stereotype can be found here: nmaahc[dot]si[dot]edu/blog-post/popular-and-pervasive-stereotypes-african-americans).

And this, again, is not a criticism of the acting or the play overall. I really did enjoy it and thought the cast did wonderfully in their parts. I was very entertained by the audience engagement and the antics of the cast. I appreciated the goofy moments and the heartfelt ones. And of course, I appreciate the fact that there is a community theater in the area that produces great shows.

If you've gotten this far in my review, well thank you for reading. I harbor no hate or ill-will towards anyone. I just want to bring attention to things that...

The stage play was beautifully done, funny, colorful and entertaining. Thank you Stage 212! I was more than surprised and taken back when one of the stepsisters buried and rubbed the prince's head into her bosoms. I did not understand how that was important to the play, especially with children in...

Went to see SpongeBob the musical with 2 of the grandkids. What an amazing performance. The cast was great. The sets were very creative and everyone looked like they were having the best time. Stage 212 is really a great asset to...