National Merit succeeds in questioning failing systems
Sripadh Pulligilla (Yash), Maddie Powell (Ariana) in BoHo Theatre’s National Merit. Photos by: Stops Photography (Bari Baskin)
BoHo Theatre returned to in-person, main stage productions with the world premiere of National Merit by Northwestern graduate Valen-Marie Santos over the weekend. And while the play questions what true success is, and what you have to give up to meet those marks, it was clear that BoHo theatre has found a new system that works for them. Traditionally focusing on hit musicals, their return to the stage highlights a new focus: premiering fresh voices.
Directed by BoHo Theatre Artistic Associate, Enrico Spada, Santos’ play takes place mostly inside the walls of one exam prep room. A group of high school juniors and their teacher have mere weeks to reach national honors level scores. But what centers around the play is whether what they are striving for will truly make them happy? Who are they doing this for? What will they sacrifice? And does any of it matter?
With friendships, foes and humorous childhood antics, Santos is exploring the pressures we as a society put on our youth, and these pressures only grow as we do. The same scenes will make you laugh and break your heart as Santos takes on more than just meritocracy. Santos shows that nuance and natural dialogue is the way to not have a play be about one singular topic but to have it include the complexities of every day life: racial injustice, socioeconomic privilege, authoritarianism, and so much more.
The heartbeat of the play is the students. You know you have good characters when each one is memorable and each one leaves you wanting more. And that may be just what National Merit needs: more from each character. Santos has written eight characters all individual, non secondary, or toss away. There is no wasted line. But with that comes an audiences curiosity into the real motives and battles of each one. We get deeper looks into Ariana (Maddie Powell), Yash (Sripadh Pulligilla), and even get enough of a glimpse into Melissa (Amber Washington) and Cisco (Alex Rocha). But the remaining characters (Juan Gonzalez Machain’s Alex, Justin Kuhn’s Jax, Tatiama Bustamante’s Camila, and Magdalena Dalzell’s Jenny) all lack the extra push needed to see what is really making them push their educational achievements straight the edge. And with these characters, at this age, at this school, that edge is razor thin.
The play itself was the perfect 90-minute, no intermission length. So while there was a need for more, the more would need to be packed into the original length without it feeling too drawn out. Possibly more nuance, side conversation, or even the small interludes we would get in certain scenes could be fleshed out to reveal more of each kids home life, each ones internal struggle, each ones true desires.
BoHo Theatre and new artistic director Elizabeth Swanson should feel proud of their own accomplishments. Bringing new voices to the stage with world premiere productions takes a lot of courage in a world filled with unknowns, and a theatre narrative that tells you that known names and tales and songs sells tickets. It’s hard to practice what you preach, forge your own way, switch paths, in a commercial, capitalist world, but with Santos’ work, BoHo is doing just that. I highly recommend that audiences follow suit.
National Merit is running until Sept. 25 at Theatre Wit (1229 W Belmont).
