Alice Ripley
Reviewed by Nicholas Linnehan
“Heteronormative… Gender-neutral… Pan-Sexual… I hate diversity!” an angry Alice Ripley shouts. These are all relatively new terms we have to use now to define gender and sexuality. It can be overwhelming to keep up with all these terms and correct pronouns. Alice Ripley does an outstanding job grappling with this new terminology. A teenager, identifying as transgender, may not seem like a monumental issue in the ultra-liberal metropolis of New York, but in a small southern town in Texas where even forming a Gay-Straight Alliance at a high school and ordaining gay pastors makes the front page of the local newspaper, this is HUGE news. Ripley finds herself in the middle of this hot and heavy scandal. The Pink Unicorn looks at this major shift in our thought process when it comes to how we speak about gender.
As Ripley learns how to navigate these uncharted territories for herself, we walk alongside her every step of the way. It is no wonder she is a Tony Award-winning actress, she is truly flawless in her performance, her emotional depth, her commitment to every word.
What makes the evening even more moving, is that it’s timely. Our rights are coming under attack every day. We need pieces like this more now than ever. The stakes have never been higher. Diversity must be protected and celebrated, just like our founding fathers would have wanted. I try not to get excessively emotional in my reviews but shows like this, Dear Reader, make a profound case for the need for Theater That Matters.
The Pink Unicorn plays now through June 2, 2019 at the church at 1 East 29th St
Theater That Matters 