Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Maddie Corman’s solo show ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE, theater as therapy for all concerned

• By drediman
• May 7, 2019
• No Comments

Maddie Corman in her solo show “Accidentally Brave” at the DR2 Theatre. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

Last night, I attended Maddie Corman’s Off-Broadway one-woman show Accidentally Brave at DR2 Theatre. The show is the epitome of theater as self-help therapy. You see, in the show, Ms. Corman – a minor television celebrity and a mother – recounts her psychological and emotional recovery from a traumatic and humiliating event (spoiler alert: her husband was arrested for accessing and indulging in child pornography on the Internet), as if seeking further healing through the act of theater itself.

It’s to Ms. Corman’s great credit that her show is at once truthful and tastefully written and constructed. Over the course of ninety minutes, she vacillates between intense rage and crippling vulnerability, in the end processing her experience with immense wisdom, strength, and grace. Ms. Corman’s carefully articulated and plotted play and her performance in it are clear indications that the process of recovery is ongoing.  Although the show may touch some people more than others, I nevertheless applaud Ms. Corman for having the bravery to share her difficult personal experience, thereby helping others who may be going through similar situations.

Much of the credit must also go to director Kristin Hanggi, who has shaped and paced the production smartly and with great care. Accidentally Brave is obviously an emotional rollercoaster ride for Ms. Corman — an innately perky and personable presence onstage — whose performance here is beautifully and thoughtfully shaded, as well as ultimately quite tactful. That she has the emotional stamina to endure taking the painful journey each night (and sometimes twice a day) is a testament to the power of theater as means for attaining catharsis, not just for audiences, but for performers, as well.

RECOMMENDED

ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE
Off-Broadway, Play
DR2 Theatre
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through July 14