Review: THE FROZEN SECTION thaws at Catastrophic Theatre

World premieres are tough because they take much more effort to develop. You are inventing something from the ground up, growing your own food, if you will. Catastrophic Theatre has worked for over a year with celebrated playwright Lisa D’Amour on creating THE FROZEN SECTION, and it feels like this one is almost ready to check out. It has a stunning cast, technical brilliance, and enough great poetic ideas to keep you thinking about it for days. It’s an intriguing piece that should have a long life. But in its current iteration playing at the MATCH, THE FROZEN SECTION runs long at almost two hours with no intermission, and the pacing seems off throughout its inflated run time. Sometimes prophecy is ragged, and this production is admirable and smart, but it has some clean-ups to do in its aisles. But man, what a cool place to hang out. This apocalyptic grocery store feels all too close to reality! We are only inches away from this being today at Kroger's.  

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The premise is we are looking at a food market called Tyler’s, which seems normal enough at first glance. But from the onset, the manager of the store makes an announcement about a coyote bleeding from his eyes, and we know that maybe things are off. Slowly, we realize that this is a grocery store open during end times. Some catastrophic events have happened, and these folks are only “pretending” to be the employees and the customers. They actually live in this structure! And there is an anthropomorphic coyote staying with them. It is revealed that their non-binary checkout person, Sage, is ready to see what else is out there. They are sick of playing pretend, and they spark the drama that has everyone in the store examining how their inner lives compare with their outer lives. The show is about how we define ourselves more clearly using menial tasks, predictable jobs, and workplace hierarchy. And we find comfort in common places like the grocery store. Even when it has nothing real, save for what is left in the freezer. 

The cast is impeccable, and they infuse THE FROZEN SECTION with a punk rock aesthetic that could only come from this troupe. There are four gender non-conforming actors onstage, and they provide this piece a strong queer lens for a world where finally, this shouldn’t be an issue. Clarity Welch is the non-binary checkout person, Sage, and they are so real they draw you in. Clarity is a natural actor, keeping Sage earthy and clear-sighted. Raymond Compton creates the wolf, and they give this predator a femme edge that sparks intellect as well as male mischievous energy that takes over now and then. T Lavois Thiebaud is heart-breaking as the “stocker guy” who has an unrequited love to deal with. They portray a stage persona against type by embodying a buttoned-up masculine energy that reads little emotion but has an ocean moving underneath. Normally, in shows, T is the inverse! Their paramour turns out to be the mercurial Jeanne Harris, who has dual roles as both a suburban wife and a doting mother. Jeanne transforms in many ways as she moves through this piece. It seems to be a theme for the cast. 

Abraham Zeus Zapata is perhaps the most gender-fluid; they take on an assortment of male and female customers as well as all the vendors and repair people. They never come back as the same thing twice in the entire run time, and it speaks to their prowess to become just about anything. Rebecca Randall performs the baker, a woman who needs extreme structure and constant tasks. Her marvelous maniacal monologue is a highlight of the last half of this show. Jovan Jackson is a convincing butcher who has little to do other than mourn the death of his cell phone and the rotting of his stock, which is surely bad by now. Jovan has an electric presence that gives gravity to his plight. Jeff Miller is hard to describe in this show because he simply has a panic attack about everything and is named suitably for this. His continuous nervous breakdown highlights the actor’s genius at comedic timing. And finally, Tyler’s manager is none other than Noel Bowers. Noel plays the duality of this piece brilliantly. He is dark and funny, and his lines hit you every time. He’s a strong force in THE FROZEN SECTION.  

Technically, this thing is a dazzler! Ryan McGettigan creates a neon-enhanced set that just doesn’t quit. I loved how the “Y” in Tyler’s would blink out of sync with the name, often making us think “WHY?” over and over. He’s f–king brilliant. Jonathan Harvey’s sound design is just as impressive. He fills the air with the middle of the road Yacht Rock and deviously plays with speed and ironic statements to make the aural landscape as alive as the cast in it. Leah Smith’s costumes are spot on, and those never stumble, either. This is a handsomely produced show with lights, sets, and sound that will rival any theater of any size in this city and maybe nationwide. To see a “pay-what-you-can” company produce at this level is mindboggling. 

Director Jason Nodler and author Lisa D’Amour have collaborated to make a mindblowing journey into a place where you have to look at what is happening outside and inside. The idea of a grocery store as a safe space in a crisis is what drives everything, and that becomes a springboard for them to meditate on what really matters here. Jason has assembled a powerhouse cast and given the whole thing a sheen that makes him so strong with works such as this. D’Amour’s script mines a lot about relationships and identities, and it’s an admirable piece. The only drawback is sometimes, THE FROZEN SECTION rambles on a bit, and the pacing seems clumsy during specific moments. At certain points, the actors seem to be reaching for a line, and you wonder if things have been reworked too close to the opening to make them as confident as they usually are. Set changes take a while, padding the time. The running length may overstay its welcome, especially with no intermission to give us a breather in a show that drones on for almost two hours. And there is one moment when the cast sings a special song for someone that Catastrophic Theatre reminds us all why they will never do GYPSY or CHICAGO any time soon. It was quite rough! 

But like that grocery cart that has the one wobbly weird wheel, any flaws in THE FROZEN SECTION will not stop me from shopping there. It is a wonderful look into the current state of the human condition - all of us keeping barely sane through our daily routine while inside, we are screaming and convinced it’s all over. The only thing is, I don’t think the grocery store is going to help us regain any sanity right now, especially if you need eggs. This is a rare chance to see a world premiere from an amazing author put on by one of our best companies. Despite any bumps, I enjoyed shopping at Tyler’s. It’s slick, it’s queer, and it’s punk rock. Just like I like my groceries to be! My advice is to sit back and let the words wash over you like poetry. Just pretend you are in a Stop ‘N Go store run by Eugène Ionesco, and you should be fine.

THE FROZEN SECTION runs through April 19th at the MATCH complex. Be aware that the performance is about an hour and fifty minutes, with no intermission. If you do exit the theater, you will not be let back in. I literally went to dinner and had two sips of iced tea just to prepare my bladder! I encouraged my row to do Kegels, and somehow, we made it. The MATCH has plenty of parking around it; just be aware of any fees associated with it. Restaurants and bars are within easy walking distance, but heed my warning… no intermission.  

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