“Knead,” onstage through Feb. 25 at the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, is an incredibly special show brimming with creativity and warmth. It appeals to all the senses, and it feels urgent, suspenseful in its own way, deeply rooted in our own Atlanta neighborhoods and joyously alive.
Actor and writer Mary Lynn Owen tells deeply personal stories of her family and her Snellville upbringing while actually baking her mother’s bread recipe onstage in an oven, nervous it won’t turn out properly.
By the end of “Knead,” our souls are fed. It is an amazing piece of theater.
Originally developed as part of the Reiser Lab at the Alliance Theatre and directed here by David DeVries, this autobiographical show is a masterfully paced invention. As the audience enters the theater and takes their seats before the show, we see the performer prepping the dough on an elaborately decorated set designed by Alexander Whittenberg.
Credit: Kevin Harry
Credit: Kevin Harry
As Owen tells us about her Cuban mother, her Methodist minister father and her complicated brother, we watch the dough rise. We watch as she works through both her frustrations and the dough. At a key, perfectly calibrated moment in the story, we see her punch the dough in frustration — which is also part of the recipe. One of the innovations of the Aurora Theatre production is that Spanish subtitles of the dialogue run above the stage, so it’s possible to see that Owen is word-perfect with her script — that nothing happening onstage, even moments that involve the actual, unpredictable alchemy of baking, is unplanned. The effect is stunning.
The set of “Knead” meanwhile, is no simple kitchen, and this is not a straightforward story. Objects appear onstage in unpredictable, magical ways, triggering Owen’s memories and sparking new stories. The lighting changes with each story, changing the mood of the room. Because she is a brilliant, experienced performer, Owen has crafted powerful, original work.
Additionally, once that dough is in the oven, Aurora Theatre smells wonderful. The audience feels right at home with this nice, funny, wise lady in her pajamas, baring her soul with memories that show an abiding love for her family. And it makes you feel like telling your own stories afterward and baking your own recipes.
It is a gift.
“Knead” is a locally developed and locally set play, too. It feels like it is uniquely ours, though theaters outside of the area should also stage Owen’s script. This is a Georgia story that would be embraced anywhere, staged like this. It even provides refreshments afterward.
The amount of work it must have taken Owen to create a work this precise, personal, heartwarming and beautiful is mind-boggling. How much bread did she have to bake while she wrote this show? How many hours did she spend determining how long each story should be for the yeast to activate and the oven to preheat?
Wow. Just wow. This show feels like a miracle. Go see this.
THEATER REVIEW
“Knead”
Through Feb. 25. $18-$50. Aurora Theatre, Lawrenceville Arts Center, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. 678-226-6222, auroratheatre.com.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
