My overall impression
Young Danny Alotta bears his soul in this deeply personal solo account of his extraordinary journey through cancer. This is a touching, sometimes shockingly explicit reveal of the experience and his inner most thoughts and feelings. Alotta, new to the stage but showing creditable acting talent, takes us on a journey where we veer from being observers to feeling like we are participants. Based on his book of the same name, Joy Juice (his teenage description for the chemotherapy drugs) we are plunged into the trauma of diagnosis, the ravages and the brutal impact of the treatment and the emotional roller coaster ride that he and his family were forced to endure. Despite this, there are gentle moments of warmth, affection and humor that reinvigorate our belief in family and human endurance.
We are reminded throughout of Alotta’s introductory message. He refuses to call himself a survivor out of respect for those he met that din’t make it but who fought as hard as he did to beat this terrible disease. He calls himself a Fortunate. Seeing this intelligent and athletic young man before us, reaffirms that he is just that and that we too are fortunate to have been invited into his world.
Don’t miss this pearl of a performance that will leave you with plenty to think about
Simon Davies
Executive Director
Teen Cancer America
