ON THE VERGE (Hedgerow): Self-discovery in the land of the unknown

Photo by Kyle Cassidy.
Photo by Ashley LaBonde.

Eric Overmyer’s ON THE VERGE.ON THE VERGE, now onstage at the beautiful Hedgerow Theatre in Media, PA, is a story of three very different women from the late Victorian era who travel together on the journey of a lifetime. Formerly solitary wanderers, Mary (Penelope Reed), Fanny (Jennifer Summerfield), and Alexandra (Maryruth Stine) combine forces to explore Terra Incognita, the undiscovered land.

Strange occurrences during their journey reveal to the women they are traveling not just through Terra Incognita, but forward in time. With this discovery, the women realize they are gaining knowledge from the future. This new knowledge allows them to “osmose” to gain clarity (not always correctly) on their strange findings: a rotor (egg beater) and Noxzema (Cool Whip), to name a few. Most intriguing are the eight distinct characters (all played by Brock Vickers) that they meet along the way, including Alphonse–a native cannibal with a stomachache with the personality of a German pilot he consumed–and Madame Nhu–a random psychic with strong advice… and fortune cookies.

Jennifer Summerfield, Maryruth Stine, Penelope Reed in ON THE VERGE at Hedgerow Theatre. (Photo credit: Ashley LaBonde of Wide Eyed Studios)
Jennifer Summerfield, Maryruth Stine, Penelope Reed in ON THE VERGE at Hedgerow Theatre. (Photo credit: Ashley LaBonde of Wide Eyed Studios)

Directed by Kittson O’Neill, ON THE VERGE is a celebration of self-discovery and capturing what you truly desire with a hint of necessary capitulation. There are so many layers to uncover in this work. It is a smart and clever piece; more performance art with humor and drama than a traditional comedy. .

The actors do a great job expressing their distinct personalities and quirks. The set (Aaron Cromie) and sound (Patrick Lamborn) is well done and instrumental in conveying the background of the show and the sensory aspects of each scene.[63 Rose ValleyRoad, Media, PA]. January 8–February 8, 2015, hedgerowtheatre.org.

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