In ‘Initiative,’ bonds of friendship outgame Dungeons & Dragons
This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
They say that imagination can take us to places we never could have dreamed. In Jacob York’s “Initiative,” a touching but uneven world premiere about friendship, grief and community, imagination stands in for a life unlived.
Running at Aurora Theatre through April 19, “Initiative” follows Dave (Cole Ferguson), a lifelong nerd and Dungeons & Dragons devotee who is in the midst of a battle with late-stage cancer. Fearing the weight of an unfinished bucket list, Dave organizes an unusual D&D campaign with his friends, where he will get to role-play all of the moments and milestones that he may not live to experience.
An inventive concept to be certain, but York seems to lack faith that the audience will be able to follow it without hand-holding. The opening scene is devoted primarily to teaching the audience about D&D, but the exposition is clunky and not altogether necessary. What’s worse is that, in trying to prime the audience for the role-play antics, the script forgoes meaningful character development at the beginning, which leaves most of the characters feeling very under-sketched.
It’s not until the play is approaching intermission that it really starts to hit a stride, fully integrating the inherent theatricality of Dungeons & Dragons with the emotional richness of its premise. Ironically, this occurs as the D&D device starts to fade into the background. Fundamentally, York has written a story about the bonds that carry us through the worst moments of our lives, and it is most effective when it is leaning into those relationships.
The cast does a good job of carrying these relationships, even when the characters are not as fleshed out as one would hope. Ferguson is a sympathetic lead, while Tyshawn Gooden, Avani Lesane and Julio Zaconet Valentin are amusing as his supportive group of friends. While the script could have done more to dig into how these characters feel about potentially losing their friend, York does what he can to center joy rather than sorrow at the end of a life.
The biggest source of emotional weight is Dave’s relationship with his girlfriend Meg (normally played by Michelle Pokopac but played at the reviewed performance by understudy Victoria Rose Reyes). His struggle to let her support him through his treatment is one of the play’s most promising dramatic conflicts, even if it is a relatively small part of the story.
The upside to sparse character development is that it creates space for the audience to project themselves onto the story. By prompting us to imagine all of these quintessential milestones, York taps into a sentimentality that transcends the specific circumstances of the play.
The production is gorgeous to look at. Cody Russell puts together an immensely charming set, decorated with an array of nerdy memorabilia that will prove rewarding to the play’s target audience. The fantasy elements are vividly brought to life by lighting designer Ben Rawson and video designer Milton Cordero, the latter creating some dazzling visual effects to convey the imaginary world that the characters escape into. Sydni Stephenson also finds some fun opportunities in the costume design, in one scene transforming the actors into fantasy beasts for Dave to battle.
Sound designer Mikaela Fraser augments these fantastical moments, though sound remains an issue for much of the play. The decision to move the play from the Grand Stage to the Metro Waterproofing Stage next door is overall a rewarding one, as the smaller space encourages a sense of intimacy — but the mic levels frequently overpower the space.
Overall, “Initiative” is a flawed play and spends too much time trying to sell the audience on its premise. But there is a core of something real in it that shines through, resulting in powerful grace notes that are likely to draw some tears as the play approaches its denouement. Ironically, the show is at its best when it is leaning away from the D&D mechanics and into the more raw emotional story. For those patient enough to wait, this play is well worth the roll of the dice.
THEATER REVIEW
“Initiative”
Through April 19. Tickets start at $47. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. 678-226-6222, auroratheatre.com.
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Luke Evans is an Atlanta-based writer, critic and dramaturge. He covers theater for ArtsATL and Broadway World Atlanta and has worked with theaters including Alliance, Actor’s Express, Out Front and Woodstock Arts. He’s a graduate of Oglethorpe University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and the University of Houston, where he earned his master’s.
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