Beautiful Indifference tells the story of three generations of beauties and three generations of their beholders. The one-act illustrates the fractured relationships of the René/Dulac family and the intergenerational trauma that plagues them. While the ambitious traumedy shows promise and poignant themes, its shortcomings make it feel like a work in progress.
Indifference follows Alice René (Dyllan Hutchinson), a 16-year-old ballerina, as she navigates the dynamics of her family and her grandmother Maxine DuLac’s (playwright April E. Brassard) quest for beauty. Alice interacts with her parents Wayne René (Bertem Demirtas) and Sophie DuLac-René (Shannon Rodgers, a standout performance) and their dysfunctional marriage, her health issues, and her relationship with her boyfriend Adam Vincent (Kai Yoffe). On the DuLac side of it all, matriarch Maxine rules over her household with a disturbingly iron fist while doting over her often slimy son “Max” (Peter Dasher) and neglecting her husband, PTSD-ridden Navy vet “Duke” (Michael Burgos, another standout performance), all while living firmly within her past and projecting her misgivings onto her granddaughter.
Often the play is poetic and cryptic, and when fully in this liminal space, which is visited about three times during the show’s runtime, Nathan Tilley’s direction shines. The script of Beautiful Indifference, often abstract and poetic, allows for beautiful performances and stunning stage pictures when it is untethered by attempting realism.
However, when the play attempts to depict grounded depictions of family gatherings it sometimes falls flat. The heightened language often used within the script creates dissonance when some of its characters speak in prosaic musings and others make colloquial quips all within the same conversation. The whiplash created between these two styles often makes it hard to follow the story.
Beautiful Indifference shows a remarkable yet confusing outline commenting on beauty standards and intergenerational trauma, and while it could benefit from rewrites, it is altogether a captivating watch.
Running Time: 60 minutes
Genre: Drama
Dates and Times:
- July 14 at 11:35 AM
Venue: Delirium, 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 103
Tickets: $15
More Info and Tickets: Beautiful Indifference
The complete 2024 Capital Fringe Festival schedule is online here.
