Holy Moly
By HOLLY WALL, 11/04/2009
Linked. The common thread weaving these stories together, Ty Tyson said, is that, although they have suffered great hardship, each of these individuals is now a well-adjusted, contributing member of society. Cooper Harrison
Nightingale performance aims to makes religion and God more accessible
"God and the Ironing Board," which plays at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, scans the religious and interior landscapes with a skeptical eye on dogma and a call to true compassion.
Don't be alarmed if you walk into the Nightingale Theater this weekend and find yourself staring up at a giant white cross. The backdrop for No Walls Entertainment Group's play God and the Ironing Board suggests the play is a religious one.
However, it's producer and director, Ty Tyson, assures me the play's religious undertones are subtle, even if its physical symbols aren't.
The play tells the real-life stories of three people, friends of Tyson's, who have overcome enormous adversity.
Steven grew up in Hissom, the Sand Springs center for people with developmental disabilities that was closed in 1987 after a judge deemed it unsafe. Steven, who suffers from mental illness, was raised there because his mother was unable to care for him. Other patients and staff members molested him until he aged out of the center.
When he moved into his first apartment, he had no furniture and slept on an ironing board. He said God would watch over him as he slept.
Carol, now in her 70s, was abducted and abused at four. Her stepfather molested her until she left his home to join the Navy, where she suffered further abuse.
For Tim, anything that could go wrong has. A gay man, he lost his lover and was then kicked out of his house.
The common thread weaving these stories together, Tyson said, is that, although they have suffered great hardship, each of these individuals is now a well-adjusted, contributing member of society.
"They're better for it, even as tragic as it is," Tyson said.
The stories are told by the people who suffered through them, with actors playing supporting roles. Incorporated in the play are multimedia presentations.
Tyson said, although spirituality is a common theme in each of the stories, the play isn't meant to preach to audiences. Rather, it makes religion and God more accessible.
Tyson said the audience will relate to the stories told on stage and likely come away feeling better about their own situations. Following the final scene, the actors will host a question and answer session.
God and the Ironing Board is presented in conjunction with Diversity Arts Association of Oklahoma Nov. 5-7 at 8pm and Nov. 8 at 2pm. Tickets to Thursday's and Sunday's shows are $10, and to Friday's and Saturday's are $20. Nightingale Theater is at 1416 E. Fourth St. More information is at www.nightingaletheater.com.