Words: Berlyn Lee
Image: Jed Bury

4 Stars

After the death of her fiance, a woman struggles with the suffocating weight of grief. No longer wanting to feel or care, she dons a bear costume, becoming “BearGirl.” Once the suit goes on, people stop asking her about how she’s doing, and she stops feeling like a widow. As she falls further and further into the feral, lonely ways of BearGirl, our protagonist has to ask herself, “Will she let the inner beast take over? Or will she face her past and move forward?” 

At first glance, the premise of BearGirl may seem whimsical and silly, but as the story unfolds the audience begins to notice the dark shadows in the main character’s story leading to an emotional crescendo. Writer Emery Schaffer brilliantly teases cracks in the “perfect love story” veneer as the audience watches BearGirl’s descent into madness. Minimal set pieces (just two chairs and a simple strip of LED lights) allowed the actors to really shine. Rachel De Fontes delivers an incredibly powerful and emotional performance, supported perfectly by chameleon character actor Jimmy Kavanagh as “player.” 

BearGirl is a thoughtful and funny window into one woman’s struggle to cope with a great loss. A moving and emotional journey into the dark, dark depths of grief and back again. Well worth the watch!

BearGirl
Assembly Roxy – RoxyBoxy
16:20
5-31 Aug