NORRISTOWN, PA (KYW Newsradio) — We all sometimes feel like we’re falling apart, but “sandblasted” — the latest play on stage at Theatre Horizon — takes that quite literally.
The dystopian satire is written by Charly Evon Simpson and inspired by the work of Samuel Beckett. It follows two women — Angela and Odessa —who are slowly losing their limbs. Thanks to prosthetics, the play paints a visual picture of the pressures put on Black women.
Actress Zuhairah plays Adah, the celebrity wellness guru who tries to help these women keep it together.
“Adah in the play is the only one who's not falling apart,” Zuhairah says, “and no one seems to know why she isn't.”
“The story tells how African American women are strong throughout trying times. And at times, they just begin to fall apart.”
Adah is described as an Oprah-like character, and Zuhairah says she “has an attitude of just being grand.”
Adah guides Angela and Odessa through a desert, where they believe the sand will help heal them.
“When you blast sand, it smooths it out… you get rid of the rough edges and things like that,” says Zuhairah.
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She hopes the show will emphasize the importance of telling someone when you are struggling.
“Black women particularly tend to be ‘Oh, I'm strong. I can do this on my own.’ But we need someone to help us,” Zuhairah says.
“All of us can be sandblasted. We can be smoothed down and re-done, and made a smooth path for all of us, if we just share the fact that we are falling apart.”
Theatre Horizon is offering tiered ticket prices for this show, ranging from $15 to $75 based on what you can afford.
“sandblasted” runs through June 4 in Norristown. More information and tickets are available through Theatre Horizon’s website.
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