Romantics Converge In Robsham

Most Boston College students are going to have to face reality, eventually. The idyllic days of pacing the Dustbowl and holing up in Eagle's Nest cannot last forever, and one day, all of us will have some decisions to make. Isn't It Romantic tells the story of two young women attempting to cope with this very reality, trying to make life decisions after the completion of their education. This weekend's performance was refreshing, funny, and poignant. The actors presented the story with ease, stepping into roles that are both extremely familiar and unfamiliar to college students. The result was a startlingly relevant tale, which drew the audience in and kept them asking for more.

The doors of the Bonn Studio Theater opened to this student-directed production on Thursday night. The stage was set with two clearly delineated rooms, one obviously in transition, with boxes and papers strewn about, and the other, much more settled and orderly. A large diary page stood propped behind the couch. On the other side, a large bed suggested a sort of permanence that could never be evoked by its opposite. These two rooms quickly became a personification of the lives of the main characters.

Isn't It Romantic tells the stories of Janie (Juliana Forsberg-Lary, A&S '12) and Harriet (Elise Hudson, LSOE '12). The two grew up together and, having received their college degrees, find themselves moving back to New York City. This situation presents them with many new challenges. First among them is the proximity of their parents. Janie's mother and father are constantly stopping by unannounced, bearing gifts and an abundance of advice sprinkled liberally with Yiddish. Harriet's parental figure takes quite a different form. Her mother is a cold and distant career woman whose musings are taken from the logical workings of the business world. Both sets of parents evidently want their daughters to follow paths similar to those that they took, but most of all, they want them to be happy.

As Janie and Harriet begin their quests for professional and romantic fulfillment, they soon realize that their upbringings have influenced them more than they had previously believed. They are both deeply afraid of following in the footsteps of their parents, and so they try to discern how to separate themselves from the dictates of society. Janie begins seeing a Jewish kidney doctor, while Harriet attempts to justify her affair with an older, married man. The girls realize that they, together, are a family and have each had a great impact upon each other's lives. Yet, the pressure that their parents put upon them impact upon each other's lives. Yet, the pressure that their parents put upon them continues, and they must face their fears. The audience is struck afresh by the inherent differences between the two, and how one person's opportunity can just as easily be another person's impediment.

The story is an excellent one that holds meaning for a wide variety of people, but this particular show was made even more enthralling by the talent of the actors. Every member of the cast played his or her role convincingly and without falter. It became difficult to distinguish the character from the actor, and to remember that these people are, in fact, BC students whom we see everyday. This "sophomore-heavy cast," as Maria Alejandra Rivas, director and A&S '12, called it, was truly a delight and bodes well for the future of theater at BC.

Rivas was one of two juniors chosen from the theatre department's directing class to select and direct a play during the regular Robsham season in their senior year. She described the year-and-a-half long process that was necessary to make this performance a reality, beginning with the selection of the play. Her choice was influenced by her own situation as a soon-to-be graduating senior in college. "It represents what women are dealing with," she said. "Both characters are trying to have it all, but to obtain that perfect world, you have to know who you are first." She hoped audiences would be able to take this meaning from the work, and they certainly did.

The fluxuation of gender roles in a new generation is one of the larger themes present in this work. It seems that a young woman must choose between herself and her family, but both young women are indeed trying to have it all. To claim the right to both a family and a career is a huge risk on both their parts, though the situations differ for both characters. Janie doesn't want to be forced to find meaning in a domestic setting, while Harriet hopes to incorporate that domestic aspect smoothly into her business life. In addition, they are constantly being defined by their "beauty" or "sweetness."

It is implied that to succeed in the business world, a woman must be like a man and give up her maternal instincts, or her only other option is to be confined to her home and family. To achieve a balance, both women must defy their comfort zones and choose whether to be alone, forever.

Isn't It Romantic possessed everything that a great play should include. It had originality, comedy, depth, and even a token Russian. The actors told a wonderful story that was made even more believable by their skillful performances. The audience was never bored and walked away with an issue to contemplate. Regardless of what the future holds, Isn't It Romantic left audiences with the conviction that they are not alone.