Theater Review | A Powerfully ‘Jagged Little Pill’

Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill has been a mainstay of pop culture since its release 30 years ago. Tracks from this album (plus other Morisette songs) create the framework for Jagged Little Pill: The Musical, a story about the personal and collective trauma of an “all-American family.” Directed by Samantha Eve and produced by Out of the Box Theatre Company, this jukebox musical is deeply engrossing with powerful, spellbinding moments.

While Jagged Little Pill (the album) is already engrained in the collective American consciousness, this musical adaptation (by Diablo Cody) still holds exciting surprises. Beautiful, athletic choreography (by Meredith Ventura) matches the changing tone of each scene, haunting and strange in some moments, and energetic teen-angst pop-hop in others. Projections (by Timo Reese) deliver both concrete and abstract concepts reminiscent of MTV’s boisterous, mid-90s style, giving the show a classic music video feel.

The central focus of the show is the WASPy Healy family. Steve (Raymond Wallenthin) is the quintessential workaholic husband/dad, Nick (Joseph Saraceni) is the “perfect” son on his way to Harvard, and Frankie (Auriaa) is the headstrong daughter with a social-justice agenda. Cristy Candler is impeccable in the role of Healy matriarch Mary Jane, the ideal PTA mom with a secret opioid addiction. The most provocative moments in the show, including the brutal representation of overdose as represented by dual Mary Janes in a couch-based Danse Apache, depict this character’s journey.

In Out of the Box’s production, Saraceni, a deaf actor, plays Nick as a deaf character, giving the cast the opportunity to incorporate the beauty of American sign language into the show. Last Sunday’s performance featured a team from Pro Bono ASL to provide extended interpretation for deaf accessibility. Jagged Little Pill broaches topics of race, consent, and addiction, and tells a tidy story in strikingly stylized fashion. See the show through November 23 at Center Stage Theatre. Click here for tickets.