Jihae Oh CMC ‘24
Staff Writer
Over the weekend of April 8, Pomona College’s Seaver Theatre put on “Scissoring”; the work skillfully delivered on its advertised promise: it was not a straight play.
“Scissoring” was written by C. Quintana, a queer Cuban-American writer who grew up in New Orleans, and was directed by Taelor Hansen PO ’22 for her senior thesis.
The play centers on a young woman, Abby Bauer, who struggles with being a lesbian teacher at a conservative Catholic school. Her employment at the school forces her to forfeit her queer identity, pushing her back into the closet. As a result, her long-term girlfriend, Josie, feels hidden and undervalued.
Abby befriends another teacher, Celia, who becomes a close confidant and the only person Abby talks to about her queerness and relationship struggles. Celia, too, struggles with her relationship, being in a passionless marriage to a man since she was 21. Celia and Abby’s friendship grows very quickly, as they find solace in each other away from their partners.
Abby finds another advisor in the ghosts of Eleanor Rosevelt and her rumored lesbian lover Lorena Hickock. These two women appear in Abby’s imagination as both guiding and irritating her (in a humorous manner).
Throughout the play, Abby battles deep shame, love, and loss. The effect of these emotions could not have been so well received if not for the acting of Naomi Amuzie PO ’22. Amuzie’s timing and body language perfectly reflected the anguish Abby feels through her struggles and allows the audience to empathize with her, even if her character may be in the wrong sometimes.
Similarly, Lila Rubin PZ ’23, who played Celia, captured her character’s offbeat yet strong spirit. Rubin and Amuzie had great chemistry on stage, helping make the friendship of Celia and Abby incredibly compelling.
The PA system was an unexpected addition to the cast, but Zalia Maya ’24 added perfectly executed moments of comedy that cultivated the play’s balance of light-heartedness and seriousness. Doa Barney PZ ’25 and Grace Tomblin Marca ’22, playing Lorena and Eleanor respectively, were also integral assets to the play’s humor.
Jon’nae Sylvester ’24 played Elaine, the principal of the Catholic school, so well that every aspect of the character’s religious essence shined through. Through Sylvester, the audience was exposed to a character that viewed one’s queerness as the determinant of their personality or professional qualifications, a mindset that many religious people continue to hold.
Abdul Ajeigbe PO ’22 played the priest, Father Ray. Ajeigbe performed his lines with a delicacy that enhanced his role as a wise figure. Father Ray represents the personal intersection of religion and homosexuality within the Church by officiating a gay marriage and declaring his support for the community. His character illuminates how religious individuals can possess opinions that may differ from the Church on an institutional level.
The sound and lighting in the Seaver Theater only augmented the superb acting onstage. The theater was an intimate size that made the audience and actors feel connected in one experience. Costumes were both simple but effective in portraying the persona of each character. Lorena and Eleanor’s costumes were especially great, with the characters donning period wear and classically queer hair-dos. It was abundantly clear that care went into every facet of the production, and I’m grateful that we were able to come together to witness the performance despite the pandemic.
Image Source: Evan Johnson PO ’22
