By SCOTTY BENNETT
In the moments between daylight and evening, there is a time when it is neither day nor night. It is a time of transition, a liminal state between now and then, a twilight zone between what is here and nowhere. Welcome to Nowhere, a town somewhere in the Great Smoky Mountains of the American South.
Gloaming, Nowhere is a production composed of music, poetry, and stories written and performed by J. S. Streible as six different characters drawn from the lore of the Appalachian Mountains of the American South. It is a challenging play with music that is not quite sure what it wants to be but is well played and sung. The production is called “…the world’s first Neo-Appalachian, Afrolachian, Southern Pop Revusical.” However, it is an avant-garde presentation of stories and songs inspired by a region of America steeped in folklore and music from a rich mix of cultures.
Streible’s work is a mixed bag of songs, poetry, and straight dialogue told with a variety of Southern accents, everything woven together in what seems like a memory play. Given Streible’s background as an adopted bi-racial man who grew up in a region rich in a mix of storytelling traditions, it is hard to escape from the biographical nature of the production.
His songs and poetry are primarily well-done, with some exceptionally evocative. These elements are skillfully combined with a storyline that stays true to the feeling of gloaming. The town of Nowhere is always in the process of becoming but never quite achieving it.
The primary driver of the drama is Storyteller. He tells the story of The Man who is on a journey of discovery to gain an understanding of himself and his place in the world. On this trip, he encounters other characters who are sometimes helpful and sometimes not. As he enters a city, he hears Advertiser chanting through a megaphone. His words add a significant piece to the story when he says, “Come on in for some lightly-used, Preowned, upcycled secondhand dreams.” It is a piece of poetry set to music, providing a powerful message for what is to follow.
The next encounter with Methuselah raises questions about what he thought were things that he sought. It left him with less focus and more doubt. He encounters Street Preacher, ranting and then singing a hallucinogenic vision that drives The Man into the wilderness, where he dreams of meeting a woman who will salve his wounds. This musing leads to an encounter with a woman whose existence is told to us by Storyteller in the form of the song “Appalachian Gothic Hippie Chick.” It is an encounter that does not end well for The Man.
The final character is one of the most compelling from the standpoint of a journey through doubt to understanding. The Voice personifies the darkness to be dealt with in one’s encounter with one’s soul. It may be evil or not; the choice is left to the one who perceives it. When The Voice leaves, The Man is convulsed with his struggle for identity, and the Storyteller appears and sings “The Gloaming,” a beautifully presented conclusion to the play.
Despite the strength of some of the show’s elements, it fails to connect for several reasons, the central issue being the spoken accents. While the song lyrics are mostly clear, the spoken dialogue is often not. Playing six believable characters is challenging enough when each has a different accent. Still, it becomes difficult for an audience unfamiliar with diverse Southern accents to clearly understand what is being said and how it fits with the stories being told.
The acoustics of the performance space, a small, closed space with low ceilings, also affect the clarity of the spoken words and lyrics. The performance space negatively impacts songs accompanied by a piano, with the instrument overpowering the vocals.
Streible is a talented playwright and songwriter who needs better direction in his portrayal of the characters. In its written form, this play is compelling and thought-provoking, but that power does not come through in the performance. Following the story and the shifts in characters is difficult with the current staging. This production will be much stronger if the words and ideas presented in the script are clearly articulated to an audience. My commentary was informed by having the advantage of reading the script.
Gloaming, Nowhere (85 minutes including an intermission) starring J. S. Streible is produced by Mackenzie Spivey and plays through April 5, 2025 at SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street in Manhattan, New York City. For tickets, visit https://ci.ovationtix.com/35583/production/1223521
