My overall impression
I didn’t know what to expect from a new one-woman show, but “I Met Someone!” was that rare thing – a real-live local star-is-born discovery. Beyond that, the show itself is a stunner, a MASTERPIECE. We still found ourselves randomly yelling out “I Met Someone!” hours after the show.
I cannot divulge why, or reveal too much of her true story here, but there were twists and turns along her real-life journey that left our audience audibly gasping. (Twice.) Regardless of your background, the show gives us all pause to consider what adversities we face, how we process those adversities, and ultimately, whether or not they define us. Key characters bounce in and out along the timeline of her life like a stream-of-consciousness game of dominoes. Simply staged, with seamless, polished transitions, this is profound material that all seems to epically emanate from a single, moving lyric in the opening theme song: “There were no mirrors in my momma’s house…” The dominoes begin, and we are witness to the dangerous game of war – the war of voices we wage within ourselves. Cheryl’s self-confessed quirks – even addictively shopping and returning, are laid out unapologetically, and that’s what makes her so real and relatable. That’s also what gives her story its depth – and big laughs. Because beneath the facade of unflinching storyteller lies a cunning comedienne. Like a surgeon, she easily cuts up the audience throughout the piece, only to carefully stitch them – and her own darkness and light – back together. This is being in the presence of a gift. I only hope that many others bear witness, for it is a healing gift…
