Review: Amphibian Stage and Second Thought Theatre collab on Bryna Turner's BULL IN A CHINA SHOP is rebellious and intriguing!

Bull in a China Shop

By Bryna Turner

Directed by Kels Ervi

Produced by Amphibian Stage, Fort Worth, Texas

In collaboration with Second Thought Theatre

Audience rating: PG-13

Running time: 90 minutes (no intermission)

Accessible seating: Yes

Hearing devices: Not Available

Sensory friendly showing: Not Available

ASL showing: February 21 only

Noises or visuals to prepare for: Loud rock music, sexual situations, strong language

Reviewed by Stacey L. Simpson

Bryna Turner’s play Bull in a China Shop, although based on real events and historical figures, is no dry history lesson; it’s more like a riotous, energy-charged revolution. Under the sharp direction of Kels Ervi and Assistant Director Emily Lopez, in this excellent staging by Amphibian Stage, the play explores the challenges and progress of the past in a way that makes the audience think about how far we still have to go.

I knew I was going to be impressed by this production as soon as I walked into the space and saw the massive, raised platform of a stage, cleverly designed to look like a giant library table backed by bookshelves, and complete with a rolling library ladder serving as steps to the floor. Drenched in a brilliant, mahogany-like hue and stuffed with colorful and interesting props, this was a masterful piece of work by Scenic Designer Leah Mazur and crew. The surface effectively alternates between seat of institutional power, lecture hall, and intimate, domestic space.

And then, as the 90-minute play began, I was delighted by the unexpected sight of four women dressed in historical clothing, defiantly and energetically rocking out to a feminist punk anthem on top of that very library table. Although the action is set in the late Victorian age through the first thirty-something years of the 20th century, Ervi uses contemporary, rebellious song choices that close the time gap. These tracks don't just fill scene transitions; they drive the energy of the story, defiantly blasting out the revolutionary spirit of trailblazers who dared to reinvent women’s education and women’s rights. Sound Designer Crescent Haynes gets the mix just right, both with music and spoken word, and Lighting Designer Caroline Hodge helps set the right tone for every scene.

Emily Scott Banks as Mary Woolley, newly-appointed president of women’s college "Mount Holyoke" and Dani Nelson as Jeannette Marks, Woolley’s lover and former student, as well as firebrand literature professor, are marvelous in their roles. The play handles their fraught romantic relationship with unblinking honesty, refusing to flinch from the complicated reality of their lives together as a closeted lesbian couple in the early 20th century. The story shows us vignettes of their long relationship as they navigate the power differential between older and younger partners; experience friction due to the ambitious Woolley’s obligations as college president and Marks’ passionate, no-compromises nature; are stifled and frustrated by being unable to publicly declare their love for each other; and go through all the normal ups and downs of any 40-year relationship. Their chemistry is compelling as their love story is told through letters exchanged between the two over their years together. Intimacy Coordinator Anne Healy assisted the cast with navigating the lovers’ romantic scenes.

The rest of the small cast is also excellent, including Laurel Lynn Collins as the straight-backed, always concerned Dean Welsh who seems to represent all of the traditional, man-centering principles Woolley is pushing against, and yet you can sense through her subtle sighs and body language that she is quietly rooting for Woolley. Nicole Renee Johnson plays Woolley’s funny, philosophy-loving roommate Felicity, and the delightful Mia Azuaje as Pearl is a true “fan girl” who undergoes an unforgettable transformation from sighing, silly schoolgirl with a crush to heartbroken woman in the depths of lovesick despair. 

All are handsomely costumed by Costume Designer Murell Horton in perfectly-fitted, carefully chosen attire that somehow evokes all of the decades of Woolley’s and Marks’ relationship all at once. A note in the program tells the audience that the play takes place between 1899 and 1937 but admonishes us not to “worry too much about that. It won’t always feel that way.” This timelessness is echoed in the set, the costumes, the music, and the dialogue, with quite a few anachronistic f-bombs spicing up the university intellectualism.

This production is fun, funny, thought-provoking, inspirational, and historically interesting all at the same time. These “rebel girls” will rock your world - go see this show! Runs through March 1 at Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth, with the run continuing at Second Thought Theatre in Dallas in April. Tickets: amphibianstage.com

On with the show!

Stacey L. Simpson