Gruesome Playground Injuries
Golden Goose Theatre
Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries tells the twisted story of two scar-crossed lovers, Doug (Rudra Bharadwaj) and Kayleen (Kristyna Havelkova), who are tied together by their wounds. At age eight, the pair meet in the nurse’s office after sustaining injuries on the school playground. What follows is snapshots of their lives over the next thirty years, through the vulnerability, heartbreak, and pain endured on the playground of life.
With nothing but two benches, two pillows, and two boxes filled with clothing, the production transports the audience from playgrounds to school dances and hospital rooms. The stripped-back staging puts the characters at the forefront, forcing the audience to confront their struggles head-on.
Both Bharadwaj and Havelkova are a formidable pair, handling the demanding material with care as they transition between playful children and wounded adults. Bharadwaj’s Doug is desperately optimistic and increasingly reckless. From chaotically dancing around the stage despite a twisted ankle to lying in complete stillness after an unfortunate rooftop incident, Bharadwaj is intensely committed to their role. Havelkova offers a complimentary performance, particularly standing out during a haunting monologue while Doug lies asleep in the hospital.
Between scenes, the actors change costumes on-stage in real time, even adding a red X on their body to mark their newest injury. The X’s become symbols of pain and survival, indicating all they have been through. These transitions are helpful, if a little long, at situating the audience within the otherwise confusing timeline.
Even so, with each reunion, the audience is forced to read between the lines. Years pass unshown, and mentally filling in the events that transpired since we last saw Kayleen and Doug makes it hard to stay immersed in the scene unfolding. This, combined with the nonlinear storytelling, requires a level of work from the audience that can at times hinder the story. While the time jumps lend themselves to the show’s central theme that life is messy and complicated, they come at the expense of narrative clarity. The conclusion is similarly dissatisfying, but befitting of the show. It feels unfinished and deliberately ambiguous, again reminding the audience that reality is complex and you don’t always get to see a happy ending.
This show is not for the squeamish. For example, prepare for mimicked vomit and talk of eyesockets and blood. However, if you’re in the mood for some compelling and layered acting performances, look no further. Gruesome Playground Injuries at the Golden Goose Theatre runs through Saturday, February 28th.
Content warning: Derogatory language relating to mental disability, references to disordered eating, descriptions of bodily harm, and discussion of sexual assault.
⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Jordyn Murray