On Friday, May 2nd, I attended the opening night performance of How The Light Gets In at South Camden Theater Company. How the Light Gets In written by Ellen M. (E.M.) Lewis, premiered at Boston Court Theatre in Pasadena, California on September 29, 2019. The play won the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award in 2020 which includes a $25,000 prize and is given for excellence in script writing. I have no idea what the other finalists were, but this script surely deserved to win! Warning: The pre-recorded curtain speech included a trigger warning about sensitive topics. To learn more, please contact the theatre directly at 856-409-0365.

Upon entering the performance space at South Camden Theater, I was amazed by how beautiful Scenic Designer Robert Bingaman’s set is. I have seen multiple productions at this theater, and Mr. Bingaman always builds sets that establish the tone of the play and enhance the story. His sets for Incorruptible and The Brother’s Size, both produced during season 17 (2022) were particularly impressive. The main set is a Japanese style garden. Throughout the play, the set quickly and efficiently becomes various other locations (a living room, a highway overpass, a hospital). The balance of colors is exquisite which is in no doubt thanks to Mr. Bingaman’s assistants: Deborah Sperry, Jean Harden, Steve Segal, Jordan Feld, and Joe Wilmes and with the help of the Props Manager, Pam Staley. Sound Designer, Drew Mangione, used background sounds effectively throughout the performance to help create the ambience, such as: a ticking clock, a heart monitor, and birds chirping all helped to create ambience. 

Before the lights dimmed, there was soft jazz music playing and the stage lights were on, highlighting the beauty and serenity of the Japanese garden set thanks to Lighting Designer Hunter A. Mountz. For authenticity, the set included various plants, a rather large weeping willow tree, a simple bench, and an “ishidoro” – a short, free-standing stone lantern common in such gardens.

Under the masterful direction of Damien J. Wallace, this play is packed with emotion and beautiful performances. The decision to present the play without an intermission, which was bold and artistically brilliant. The cohesiveness of the play will be a major theme of this review, and the flow of the narrative would have been lessened by an intermission. I spoke to actor Craig McLaren (Tommy Z) after the performance who affirmed that the cast developed a strong unified rhythm throughout the rehearsal process. The result is a production that is beautifully seamless – almost like a single, uninterrupted scene, it was that smooth.

The play opens with two of the characters as narrators, who provide context about the story and characters. The script is like an onion, in that throughout the course of this theatrical journey, more and more is revealed about each of the four characters, who are all very different, yet share a common bond. The characters address the audience directly and tell us that this is “first and foremost a love story”. The development of the friendship bonds between the characters build throughout. Costume design, created by Louise Gareau, really emphasized the personalities of the characters perfectly. 

While this play is an ensemble piece, the main story focuses on the character of Grace Wheeler (Neena Boyle). Grace is “a travel writer who never travels” to the locations she writes about. She uses research, travel guides, and her imagination. Grace volunteers as a docent in the Japanese garden, giving tours to people, but we learn early on that she is awaiting the results of a biopsy. Ms. Boyle’s performance is masterful, as she deals with Grace’s situation in a manner that is relatable and natural. During one particularly distressing scene, I found myself on the verge of tears. 

David Woo (Haruki Sakamoto) plays a “Japanese architect who can’t figure out how to build a simple tea house”. Mr. Woo comes to this production with an impressive resume. He plays a renowned architect who is hired to design a tea house in the middle of the garden. With an architect’s version of writer’s block, he frequently visits the garden with his sketch pad, but cannot generate any ideas. He rips paper out of his sketch pad, crumples it up, and then tosses it on the ground. Haruki Sakamoto is wise, a bit awkward, and quite reserved with a dry sense of humor. He is very reluctant to pursue a love interest, saying: “It is better to be alone than to have your heart ripped out”. This character’s personal pain was palpable. Mr. Woo’s performance was subdued and his long-term sadness really came through.

Craig McLaren (Tommy Z): “a gifted tattoo artist who resists the power of his talents” Mr. McClaren plays tattoo artist Tommy Z, a narrator as well as a number of walk-on parts, including a doctor. I have seen Mr. McLaren in previous productions, and I am impressed with his range as an actor. The scene where we learn why Tommy feels he can no longer do tattoo art is quite impactful. The character of Tommy Z is relatable to anyone who feels anguish that they were not able to do enough to help someone; and feel terrible guilt. 

Shannon Sullivan (Kat Lane): “a homeless girl who lives under a weeping willow tree in the Japanese Garden” is radiant as a young homeless woman who is squatting in the garden. Ms. Sullivan’s facial expressions speak volumes without saying a word. Her stage presence is magnificent, as her character radiates hope that her life will improve.

The four characters bond with each other through their struggles. They are each other’s support as they confront their traumas. The story is concise, and the plot does not meander. Therefore, the performance was highly polished, and the scene changes were done flawlessly with credit to Stage Manager Melody Moore. As is often said of stage managing: when it is done well, the audience shouldn’t notice it.

The highly experienced director, Damien J. Wallace, guided a tapestry of anguish, pain, love, friendship, and healing. From the promotional material: “This is a beautiful, haunting and richly human play”. I heartily agree. This production had a “unity”, a “wholeness” that I struggle to describe. I highly recommend seeing this emotional and very moving play.

Playwright E.M. Lewis said in an interview that the title of the play comes from the lyrics of a 1992 Leonard Cohen song called “Anthem”.

… Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in

Neena Boyle (Grace Wheeler)

She/Her

Neena is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to tell this beautiful story. Previously at SCTC: The Toxic Avenger (Mayor/Ma), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Judy). Select regional credits: Fellowship! (SideQuest Theater); Beirut (Casabuena Cultural Productions); Moon Over Buffalo, Hello, Dolly!, Into the Woods, The Sound of Music (Candlelight Theatre); Billy Elliot (BToP); Rocky (Walnut Street Theatre). BFA from UArts. Endless gratitude to Damien and to the entire team, and endless love, as always, to Billy and Rita. More at www.neenaboyle.com!

David Woo (Haruki Sakamoto)

He/Him

Born in Hong Kong, raised in New York and educated through Public Schools culminating in graduation from Brooklyn Technical HS with over 1,000 fellow classmates. Attended the University of Vermont and upon graduation served in the United States Army for three years. Always an advocate for cooperative enterprise, sought a seat and served on the board of Weavers Way Cooperative Association which prepared him well for current service on the Board of the Philadelphia Local SAG-AFTRA as an at-large Director. As a background actor over many years he has served on TV jury duty more than real jury duty, a few bona fide credits; in television on the, Grandma and Chill episode of Nora From Queens as a flashback Wedding Officiant; as Keith the Stage Manager in a Hershey’s commercial; an On-Camera-Principal boxing groupie, in a Facebook commercial starring Sylvester Stallone and Chris Rock. Voice trained locally under Joann Joella and received instruction from Pat McDade for on-camera acting. David worked in marketing at WHYY and occasionally pitched on-air for the pledge drives. Most interestingly as part of the job, he prepared audio for licensing to a Japanese/English language training company.

Craig McClaren (Tommy Z)

He/Him

Craig is a professional comedian and a native of Philadelphia. He has been doing comedy throughout the country for over 15 years. For ten years, Craig hosted his own comedy show every second Sunday in an upstairs room at Club Risqué in Philly, turning a reputable gentleman’s club into “The Hottest” Comedy Room in Philadelphia. Craig travels the country spreading laughter. Craig has hosted several major comedy shows in Philadelphia, including Bob Summer’s LAFF MOBB LIVE at the City Winery. Craig has opened for Acts such as Tommy Davidson, Eddie Griffin, MoNique, Gary Owen, and Guy Torry just to name a few. In addition to comedy, Craig is establishing himself as an actor starring in several stage plays and films, including a few on Tubi TV. Craig has been seen on the SCTC stage in The Brothers Size, The Legend of Georgia McBride, and Kill Move Paradise. In 2019, Craig was nominated by the Philadelphia Independent Film Awards for being the best actor in a feature film.

Shannon Sullivan (Kat Lane)

She/Her

Shannon is thrilled to be back at SCTC after performing the role of Sarah in their debut musical, The Toxic Avenger. Regional Theater: A Christmas Carol (Walnut Street Theatre), Beautiful (Walnut Street Theatre), an additional four TYA shows with WST, and Slay and the City (Without a Cue Productions). She has done vocal performances at 54 Below, Don’t Tell Mama’s, The Green Room 42, and Paper Mill Playhouse. Proud UArts alum. Shannon would like to thank her supportive family & friends; her wonderful partner, Ryan;  the cast & creative team; the amazing people who work at SCTC; and the ShanFans. www.ishannonsullivan.com @ishannonsullivan on Instagram and TikTok.

Melody G. Moore  – Stage Manager

She/Her

Melody recently relocated to Philadelphia after spending over 20 years in Key West, Florida, where she was directly involved in most aspects of the local thriving theater community, including Stage Manager, Box Office Manager, Actor, Set Dresser, Costumer, and Prop Mistress. Locally, she has stage-managed for Fever Dream Repertory and TheatreXP. She is excited to return to it again and looking forward to working here at South Camden Theatre Company with the incredible group of creative individuals again this season.

Meghan Malloy -Production Manager)

She/Her

Meghan is a multi-hyphenate artist. She is thrilled to work with South Camden Theatre Company in this capacity! Meghan holds a BFA in Acting from Point Park Conservatory. A Barrymore-nominated actress, Meghan has worked with many regional theaters (locally: Walnut, Wilma, Arden, InterAct, Montgomery) and on national tours. Meghan currently coaches dialects for actors and productions.  Additionally, Meghan teaches actors both film and theater techniques through The Actors Lab in Wayne, PA, and Lights, Camera, Acting! in Bucks County, PA. Meghan recently re-entered the working world on the tails of working as a stay-at-home parent for ten years.  For more information about Meghan’s work, visit: linktr.ee/meghan.malloy.creates.

Damien J. Wallace – Director

He/Him

Damien is the Artistic Director of the Lawrence Theatre Company. LTC credits include The Funeral, Do you trust your best friend, Custody, Life isn’t fair, and The Three OG’s. Some other notable directorial endeavors include Verbalized Ink (Rise up and Walk Theatre Company) and Fences (GoKash Productions).  Damien is very pleased and honored to make his return to SCTC as the director of How The Light Gets In. Some other SCTC directorial credits include Kill Move Paradise, The Brothers Size, and The Legend of Georgia McBride. Damien has also directed 3 productions for EgoPo Classic Theatre Company; Les Blancs, Rockabye, and Wine in the Wilderness. Damien was formerly trained under the tutelage of Lee Strasburg disciple Ty Collins and Stella Adler protégé Vernon Blackman. Damien holds a BFA with a Distinguished Honors in Theatre from Arcadia University.

E. M. Lewis – Playwright

She/Her

E. M. Lewis is an award-winning playwright, teacher, and opera librettist. Her work has been produced around the world, and published by Samuel French.

Lewis received the Steinberg Award for both How the Light Gets In and Song of Extinction and the Primus Prize for Heads from the American Theater Critics Association, the Ted Schmitt Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle for outstanding writing of a world premiere play, a Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, a playwriting fellowship from the New Jersey State Arts Commission, the 2016 Oregon Literary Fellowship in Drama, and an Edgerton Award for her epic Antarctic play Magellanica.

Plays by Lewis include How the Light Gets In (Steinberg Award-winning play that premiered at Boston Court Pasadena in 2019), Apple Season (which received a rolling world premiere from the National New Play Network in 2019), The Gun Show (which has had more than forty productions across the country and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland), Song of Extinction, Heads, Infinite Black Suitcase, Reading to Vegetables, True Story, Dorothy’s Dictionary, and You Can See All the Stars (a play for college students commissioned by the Kennedy Center).

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant, a new opera commissioned by American Lyric Theater that Lewis is working on with composer Evan Meier, had an orchestral workshop in New York City in February 2020. Town Hall, her opera about health care in America, created with composer Theo Popov, was produced at the University of Maryland and Willamette University.

Lewis is currently working on a major new play called The Great Divide, which the Oregon Shakespeare Festival commissioned as part of its American Revolutions program. Artists Repertory Theater co-commissioned the play, and Lewis has received a three-year National Playwright Residency from the Mellon Foundation to support her work there.

Lewis is a proud member of LineStorm Playwrights and the Dramatists Guild. She lives on her family’s farm in Oregon.

Hunter Mountz – Lighting Designer

He/Him

Hunter is a Philadelphia-based theatre and dance lighting designer whose previous design credits include The Lightning Thief (Triple Threat Theatre Company), Who’s Holiday, The Toxic Avenger – The Musical, and God of Carnage (South Camden Theatre Company) Into the Woods, The Laramie Project, Bedroom Farce (Salem State University) Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia! , The SpongeBob Musical (Panthers-on-Parade) Dare to Dream, and When Worlds Collide (SSU Repertory Dance Theatre). Hunter also received the Excellence in Lightning Design award from the 2021 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. 

Drew Mangione – Sound Designer

He/Him

Drew is a live-sound engineer and designer, while also working as an electrical engineer. He is a graduate of Drexel University, where he was a member of the Drexel Theatre Company. He is happy to be a part of this production of How the Light Gets In and can’t wait to show it. Returning to South Camden Theatre Company, he was previously the A1 for The Toxic Avenger. Some other recent Philadelphia-area shows include Mantua Theater Project (Drexel University), As You Like It (Shakespeare in Clark Park), Barrymore-winner Ramayana (EgoPo Classic Theatre), and Girlfails (The Lemonade Stand).

Louise Gareau – Costume Designer

She/Her

Louise recently joined SCTC’s creative team after working as a costumer for her music teacher’s daughter’s productions. She’s delighted to be spreading her wings with our work on stage. Starting out with the recent production of The Toxic Avenger was quite an effort. She’s looking forward to costuming How The Light Gets In for the theatre’s 20th Anniversary Season of Love.

Pam Staley – Props

She/Her

Pam is delighted to work in theatre with her friend Dawn Varava at SCTC. Her past experiences included managing props and all things backstage for Dawn during many of her school productions. She has been jumping in to help SCTC be the best we can be for all of our shows.

Robert Bingaman – Scenic Design

He/Him

Robert is so thankful for all the support he receives from the creative staff and the South Camden Theatre Company board. He is SCTC’s board president and resident scenic designer, and he also wears many other hats. His favorite sets include The Brothers Size, By The Water, The Toxic Avenger, Exorcism (A Play In One Act), The Legend of Georgia McBride, and many more. He knows that he couldn’t do any of this work without the incredible support of so many volunteers. Thanks to each of them for bringing theatre magic to our stage.