Written and performed by Paulina Combow, and performed for Santa Monica Playhouse’s Binge Fringe Festival, Adopted by Apalachians takes its inspiration from a true story of finding out who you really are. When a young detective investigating the paranormal finds out her family isn’t who she thought they were, she sets out to find out who she really is and which secrets inform her identity.
Including Mulder from cult TV series The X-Files as mentor and partner in the investigation (offering his special brand of wisdom), with Appalachian icon Dolly Parton as musical muse and wise watcher, this is a rather original solo show set in the 1990s with no phones, no internet, and no DNA scanning. It thrives on imagination and inspiration.
Directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, Adopted by Appalachans adds multimedia elements to the mix throughout. Paired with Combow’s ability to inhabit a variety of characters in telling her story, this offers a thrilling experience.
With original music, moments of laughter lightening what could otherwise have been a dark and dour story, and a healthy spoonful of suspense, this clever show offers one person’s search for truth against the backdrop of Appalachian culture that reveres the supernatural and Native American tradition.
Combow’s clear skill as a stand-up comedian is evident in her ability to structure the plot and twists in the play to keep us on our toes. Ethics, a captivating mystery, and her impressions allow Adopted by Appalachians to stand out from other shows that centres on personal quests, stories and testimony.
Thiis play asks how far would you go to find out the truth, however unpalatable? And could you live with the consequences? The play doesn’t answer those questions but leaves you musing on them long after the show has ended.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars.