CRACKED OPEN
Written & Directed by Gail Kreigel
Theatre Row | 410 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
May 6th - June 8th
The stigmas associated with mental illness have faded significantly in my lifetime. I remember words that were definitely in common parlance back in my childhood that have since been banished to obscurity. But in the mid-90’s, society was just coming around to the notion of illness and disease as opposed to deficiency or defect. Cracked Open is set in the mid-90’s when an all-star daughter is graduating from high school but when she acts out dangerously they realize this is not teenaged moodiness. But this is less a play about Matilda and her illness, and more about how each member of the family is affected by her illness.
As the reality sets in that their daughter will not have a quick fix, her parents cannot handle their reality. Mae (Pamela Bob) suffers deep depression followed by tremendous guilt. Conversely, Richard (Bart Shatto), a local news reporter, is so concerned about how his daughter’s illness could affect his career that he drops her from his health insurance. Shatto’s performance is so compelling, you can’t help but despise him. A standout performance by Paul Castree as Malitde’s uncle gives the audience faith that she will have the support her father can’t give her. Joyia D. Bradley shines in the ensemble playing several smaller roles, making each so unique and well defined.
Cracked Open is structured in 3 acts taking place in several locations. Moving scene to scene the rhythm of the is hampered by awkward scene changes. Some changes were incorporated into the action of the play, but this wasn’t consistent through the performance. When a show is running 95-min without intermission, being creative about scene changes could make a huge difference when there are 14 scenes.
A lifetime ago, it was not uncommon for families to send away a child who was neurodivergent or had a mental illness - not for recovery, but forever. Queen Elizabeth’s uncle, Prince John was hidden away as a child for having epilepsy. Today, the idea of institutionalizing a child is almost unthinkable with shows like There She Goes showing both the highs and lows of life with a neurodivergent child. Cracked Open is a great look at how far we’ve come, but how far we still have to go.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on May 19th, 2025. All rights reserved.