From July 30 to Aug. 9, the Registry Theatre presents Rachel Carson, showcasing the brilliantly complicated life of Rachel Carson and her story of resilience.
Written and directed by Steven Elliott Jackson, Rachel Carson is a drama detailing the life of the American marine biologist and writer. Carson wrote Silent Spring, a pivotal text in environmentalism that recorded the impacts of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a pesticide developed during World War II.
Jackson first began writing the play in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when most theatre productions were practically impossible. He felt inspired by the story of Carson and her struggle with breast cancer as she strove to write her book.
The production stars Nicole Anna-Lynne Smith as Rachel Carson, the show’s central character; Oliver Tailby as Roger Christie, Rachel’s grandnephew and adopted son; Chudear Oyual as Dorothy Freeman, Rachel’s confidante and lover; and Martin Glassford as Paul Brooks, the editor of her novels.
Smith left the audience breathless, feeling completely in her element while bringing out the subtleties of Carson’s character. Her attention to detail through inflection and tone added striking emotional depth to each scene.
Smith described the closeness she had felt with Carson.
“She’s fierce, resilient, but also there’s a gentleness about her which I think this play really speaks to,” she said.
Smith’s chemistry with Glassford came to life throughout their scenes together, sending audiences roaring with laughter through the dry humour Jackson brilliantly wove into each scene. Glassford also brought a stellar amount of physical comedy, stealing every scene he appeared in with his wit.
The production marked Oyual’s first theatre performance. She invited audiences in with a contagious likeability to her character that helped ground the play.
Tailby, the youngest member of the cast, brought forward the emotional depth of Carson’s character through their own subtlety, tugging at the audience’s heartstrings during the production’s many high-intensity scenes.
For Jackson, the core theme of the play was resilience, showcased through Carson’s relationships, health struggles and drive to write a book that would change people’s minds.
“What I love is finding that moment in someone’s life where it can go one way or the other. I think that’s what we face every day. She had such a passion for the story she wanted to tell, and had to rise above all of these things in order to do it,” Jackson said.
The production explored several notable themes, particularly Carson’s relationship with water and environmental issues surrounding the regulation of pesticides, encouraging audiences to become environmentally conscious without frightening them.
The set was designed to reflect Carson’s real-life beach house in Southport, Maine. The upstage featured an office space, while the downstage was transformed into a beach shoreline. Jasmine Rajaballey, the show’s lighting designer, created a boundary of water at the stage apron, rippling dark blue light across the floor like waves.
One notable design choice was the inclusion of real copies of Rachel Carson’s books, displayed on a bookshelf in her office.
The show’s fashion was carefully tailored to each character. With so few actors, there was limited time for costume changes, but costume designer Marian Boyer was up to the challenge.
Boyer and Jackson agreed immediately on the production’s aesthetic.
“We both knew that this was a very muted show, that it was very calm,” Boyer said.
She explored the character of Dorothy and the surreal element that informed her costuming.
“It had to be two costumes that were so similar, one was imaginary in Rachel Carson’s mind, and one had to be the real one,” Boyer said.
Jackson explored the relationship between Dorothy and Rachel, emphasizing the theme of queer lives in the past.
“It’s about people trying to find each other across these great divides, and having to be okay with the limited amount of time you have with someone,” Jackson said.
The play was not about their story of coming out, but instead living with the connection they had with each other.
Jackson hopes that audiences can feel inspired by the story of Rachel Carson, finding their own resilience towards their goals.
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