A Review of Bless Your Heart

by James E. Trainor III

SPT - SPT's latest "tale from the writers' room" takes Valentine's Day as its cue and love as its theme. The stage is simple - a small, circular platform, a screen, a few lights and an area for the band - but from this small palette they're able to paint a variety of settings and explore a broad range of ideas. Love, of course, is a very large theme, and Bless Your Heart does it justice, going from warm to awkward, hilarious to raunchy, melancholy to inspiring, all in a single evening.

The music is the glue that holds all this together. It's hard to say whether these shows are scenes interspersed with songs or songs interspersed with scenes. The pieces blend well, although some of the transitions into scenes could have been a bit tighter.

Some of the highlights of Bless Your Heart are the Cupid Squad, a comic take on the Valentine's Day icon, "The Talk," in which a father-daughter discussion of the birds and the bees gets rather awkward, and "Dr. Tinman Makes a House Call," where a teddy bear might have been given the wrong heart. "Dr. Tinman" is an interesting diversion because it works as something of a radio play, with Adam Witte and Akwi J. Nji-Dawson reading the dialogue to a humorous slideshow.

"Unmasked" deserves special mention, because it stands so much in contrast to the ribald humor of the rest of the show. Akwi J. Nji-Dawson's personal narrative tells of her first childhood romance and the racial boundaries that severed it. It is a somber but invigorating moment, and it gets right at the heart of the "respect and gratitude" that embodies mature love.

The music is versatile as well, going from melancholy to passionate, rock to blues and back again. Special musical guest Ron Dewitte is amazing on the guitar and sings "Got You on My Mind" with feeling and flawless rhythm.

Doug Jackson is a joy to listen to as always. His deep, powerful voice can be smooth and relaxed as well, and he sings "You Can Love Yourself" with skill and showmanship. He fits into this band particularly well, especially in his duets with Jane, and the vibes are that of a great blues combo, free and loose but tied to an energizing rhythm.

Megan Turner-Ginsberg is quite funny with Jason Alberty in "The Talk" and with Mary Sullivan in "Bless Your Heart" and "Irish Radio." She brings a wealth of energy to the stage and is very specific and playful with reactions and facial expressions. She loves to throw herself into silly and outrageous characters, and this helps the comedy dance.

Bless Your Heart is playing at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 3rd Avenue SE. Shows are February 12 & 13 at 7:30PM. Tickets are $20


James graduated from Cornell College with a Bachelor of Special Studies in English and Theater. He has also acted and directed for the now defunct Stage Left Theater in Cedar Rapids.