Review – Maybe you could crack my sternum
According to the program, Emma & Emma‘s Maybe You Could Crack My Sternum is about “human connection in all its forms”. But what is experimental theatre if not a vessel from which the audience can draw its own meaning? For me, this show was about womanhood. About trying to divine your purpose in life amongst the white noise of our everyday fears and distractions. Or perhaps it wasn’t really about anything.
Emma & Emma confess their innermost secrets and gossip about each other. They share both deeply-felt and superficial observations, garnered from being in each others’ company – talking, but not always listening. Up for discussion are eating disorders, depression, suicide, loneliness, and internet dating (there must be a link there). The stripped-back dialogue is complemented by the simple costuming and the set by designer Taryn Dudley, with geometric patterns made of white yarn held taut between white nails on a white wall.
This is offbeat, original theatre, and an honest and heartfelt glimpse into the lives of two young women. It is thought-provoking, but ultimately there is no story, no conclusion drawn, and no clear point. But, maybe that’s the point.
