A play that does not start with “once upon a time”
“5” at the Jungle theater explores friendship in betrayal in the context of gentrification
By Vishalli Alagappan with art by Brooke Lambrecht
I bundled myself up on a cold winter night to attend a performance of “5” at the Jungle Theater, and the show was worth the sweaty, hurried driving and procrastinating my cell biology studying. “5” is a play that centers the evolution of a friendship through the hardships of gentrification in a background of mysticism. Jay and Evan are childhood friends who own a corner store together in a neighborhood where yoga studios, chain grocery stores, and parking garages replace local shops that have been owned by community members for generations. Stacy Anderson, the face of the active yuppie colonization in the neighborhood, offers to buy the store and rebrand it for a different market. The play develops through impassioned conflicts that unearth past resentments and fracture the foundation of their friendship.
The acting on display that night was truly impeccable. The fervor, rage, passion, and warmth permeated throughout the theater. My heart was in my throat for the entirety of the performance. I had never before encountered a production that presents the ugly reality so sincerely. The fights between Jay and Evan were written and staged exceptionally well. The actors did not restrain themselves, allowing the vulnerability and tenacity of each character to take frontstage. It is apparent that the actors relate with the characters and really understand the themes of the play because nothing else could explain such a splendid and moving performance.
The extraordinary acting, however, rides on the coattails of the ingenious writing of the playwright and lead actor, Jucoby Johnson. Each character is multifaceted. There is no hero, and there is no villain. Although Stacy seems like a one-dimensional character representing the greed of American capitalism, she has a nuanced background that creates ambiguity and invites sympathy. June, Jay’s paramour, blossoms from a headstrong, unforgiving lover to a caring, thoughtful loved one. Walter, an eccentric pastor at the local church who frequents the convenience store, provides warmth, comic relief, and a foundation for the supernatural elements. The religious prophecies about the apocalypse and the recurring news about climate change complement the gentrification of the neighborhood. The destructive changes of gentrification parallels the disastrous flooding and proposes the end of the world. I don’t want to give away the clever, avant-garde ending, so I will merely say that this thematic undercurrent was simply brilliant.
Another aspect of the play that I could not stop gushing about was the exceptional set design. Everything occurs within the confines of three walls of the convenience store. From the digital clock to the sign on the front of the store, every component was intentional and integral to the show. I have a mind to watch the play again just to admire the set once more.
I’ve watched classics like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Twelfth Night” before, and although I thoroughly enjoyed them, watching “5” was like a breath of fresh air. A friend that accompanied me to the performance remarked on the accessibility of the setting and themes of the piece. The play is novel in that it depicts the lives of ordinary people in an extraordinary way. It exhibits the everyday effects of issues like gentrification and climate change that most of society thinks of in the abstract. The production of “5” at the Jungle Theater holds up a mirror to the gentrification of Uptown, Minneapolis. The once vibrant and artistic community is now populated with upscale eateries and apartment complexes, and the influx of whiteness has displaced the rich and diverse culture of Uptown. The erosion of local corner stores and other third spaces (places like parks, bakeries, and hair salons or barber shops where people congregate outside of work and home) threatens both the livelihoods of its people and a sense of community.
Days have passed since I rose for the standing ovation at the end of the performance, and yet my thoughts are interrupted with unforgettable visuals of zealous acting and an immaculate set. I find myself trying to recall exactly what Walter said in his monologue and how that ties to the beckoning of the end, or how the passage of three months were creatively indicated through the lighting. Jungle Theater presents “5” until April 16. If you have the opportunity, I urge you to procrastinate whatever you have to do to go and watch this marvelous production.