Sunset Cowgirl

What I liked

Loved the in-depth and respectful treatment of Sunset and her creators’ voices colliding to reveal insights into motivations of the same. Felt like I was in attendance at a masterclass of channeling and honoring one’s ancestors both in the present moment, and in premeditated actions or speech. Was very satisfying to register more witty wordplay than opportunity to chuckle, and to see “Chekov’s” gun (and bow) be fired as we learn about where Sunset has been, and the sides of life those experiences place her on with respect to its grandest narratives.

What I didn't like

Unexpectedly climactic moments relating to artist ancestry passed by before I knew it, and represented a part of the play I hoped to stew longer in after its conclusion. Agree with other reviewer about information communicated in those scenes rewarding a repeat viewing, with respect to engagement with Sunset’s earlier asides (and soliloquies). Overall though, said moments added perfect balance and vulnerability to the play’s persona (elements that I attribute with masterful and mature writing).

My overall impression

Daring in scope, and successful in execution. Written expertly as both a frame story and streams-of-consciousness, Sunset and her conscious co-pilots offer her audience an opportunity to ride along the immortal boulevard that bears her name as she narrates (with unassuming wit and vulnerability) a wild ride to the Pacific Ocean along margins of a life that naive observers might purport to know all there is to know about (by judgment of its cover, as an example).

From “the rose” that Calling in Love (artist’s performance at festival last year) closed with, to the opening moment of Sunset Cowgirl, I wondered if it was possible for the expectation-defying love-ballad of CiL’s Helga and Harold to be topped in a setting so different and possibly more conventional. By the time Sunset Cowgirl concluded, I could palpably feel that the artist had exceeded/outdone herself in immersing her readers and viewers in the world of someone uncannily gifted in the ability to persevere in the bleakest of circumstances.

Following the show, I was left richer with gratitude for the “beautiful, beautiful brain” inherited by the artist capable of recognizing beauty and friendship in the unlikeliest corners of creation, as well as her invitation to members of the audience to connect and relate with staggering self-realizations in the works for generations (evidenced by her performance’s polish on closing day, which is the first chance I had to attend).