“Arrowhead” by IAMA Theatre Company: Wonderfully Relatable

THEATRE REVIEW

Kacie Rogers, Amielynn Abellera, Stefanie Black and Adrián González in “Arrowhead” (Photo – Jeff Lorch)

I am still laughing, and planning to see award-winning playwright/screenwriter ​Catya McMullen’s gem again before it closes (just 7 more performances), especially since laughing is critical to life, and especially necessary in larger doses lately.

By Carol Edger Germain

The promotion blurbs for “Arrowhead” were certainly intriguing, acknowledging complicated social issues are involved, but overall stressing it was a comedy. And that it was, performed by a solid and talented cast, always perfect timing and inflection.

The setting is a cabin at Lake Arrowhead, where unexpectedly pregnant lesbian Gen is throwing an abortion support party with her straight friends from college. At least that was the intention. With the arrival of unexpected, but legit, guests and relatives, it gets more complicated but also opens up opportunities for more humor.

The mix of comedy and serious life, sexuality (some steamy scenes), attraction, and family issues flowed just right so that the characters’ personal dilemmas were well-defined and expressed seriously, and their friends were there with serious support. However, 90% of the time the entire audience was laughing out loud because no matter what crisis was being dealt with, this multi-flavored cast of characters with a wide range of complicated life situations managed to love, interact, and entertain with their ability to find the humor ….almost always. It was cathartic to laugh that much. It was wonderfully relatable, regardless of the audience member’s age, sexuality, viewpoints, or life experience. Everyone “got it” and we laughed our heads off.

Atwater Village Theatre is an excellent, exciting theater because of the several small theater groups that reside or rent there. Always new, edgy, interesting, and the writers, casts, crews, and production never disappoint. I urge you to get on their mailing list so you don’t miss any of these excellent performances.

Amielynn Abellera, Stefanie Black, Kacie Rogers, Adrián González and Nate Smith (Photo – Jeff Lorch)

Arrowhead
Written by Catya McMullen
Directed by Jenna Worsham
Starring Amielynn Abellera, Stefanie Black, Lindsay Coryne, Adrián González, Kathleen Littlefield, Kacie Rogers, Nate Smith
Presented by IAMA Theatre Company, Stefanie Black, artistic director
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
​​Seven performances remaining, through March 4
Friday at 8:00 pm: 3/1
Saturday at 8:00 pm: 2/24, 3/2
Sunday at 2:00 pm: 2/25, 3/2
Monday at 8:00 pm: 2/26, 3/4
Free parking in the "ATX/3269" lots, also free street parking
(Do not park in the Momed lot).
Tickets
$40, Mondays are "pay what you can."
iamatheatre.com or (323) 380-8843