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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. In Clay
Authors Rebecca Simmonds (book and lyrics) and Jack Miles (music and lyrics) follow Cazin (Alex Finke) as she recalls her career as an innovator in the creation of ceramics. She tells of being selected in her youth for further education by an established artist, becoming lifelong friends with a fellow student, marrying the teacher's son (also an artist), enduring World War I, and dealing with the realization that her successful husband had taken credit for her own works and how she could respond. Director Kimberly Senior has taken an intimate approach in the ARK Theatre: the audience members are guests in Cazin's home. At first, Finke's accent is not always easy to follow, but that resolves over the roughly 90-minute runtime. She is aware of her skill as an artist but never consciously shows herself off: as dressed by costume designer Shahrzad Mazaheri–wide-legged trousers, a vest over a blouse, a cardigan, and a headwrap–Cazin demonstrates her personal style without any extraneous fuss. (She covers herself with a smock before taking a ball of clay, wetting it down with water from a working sink, then using a potter's wheel to shape it into a pot.) While Finke inhabits both Cazin's character and that of the people with whom she interacts, Tony Cisek's scenic design similarly illuminates her life in its carefully curated look into her home. Shelves display examples of her artistic take on ceramics, with a kiln center stage in front of the fireplace. The décor is a little bit cluttered, allowing the four musicians (violin, bass, guitar, and music director Matt Herbert at the piano) to fit in unobtrusively at stage right. Notably, Miles' score summons up the era through its inviting use of jazz and the role of the guitar along with the more traditional concert instruments. In Clay runs through February 1, 2026, at Signature Theatre, ARK Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington VA. For tickets and information, please call 703-820-9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org. Book and lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds Cast: |
