‘There is real potential in this piece, but it is weighed down’
In a world where we decide who exactly to hate based on the whims of the Internet, what does a person do when they become ‘The Internet’s Most Hated’? Star Stone attempts to answer this question in her one-woman piece Villain Era, to middling success.
Accompanied by impressive projections, Stone sets off in spinning her tragic yarn. The story seems fairly common – actor moves to LA, actor is desperate for work, actor takes role that ends up screwing actor over, actor learns something. Stone has the advantage of having experienced something horrific, and, more importantly, true, but the execution leaves something to be desired. While her character work is strong, the script makes me unsure as to whether the character she is creating on stage is a pastiche, or if it’s an honest portrayal.
Despite snappy multimedia elements, showing clips of the infamous video for which Stone is famous for (and the accompanying online abuse she received), there is a disconnect between the comedy and tragedy of the situation. Ryan Cunnigham’s direction also sees Stone foray into various moments of physical theatre, which eventually wind their way round to becoming personifications of Stone’s different emotions. While compelling, their inclusion feels messy in the course of the narrative. I found myself seeking to hear more of Stone’s thoughts, but non-stylised.
Stone, undoubtedly, went through something deplorable. The conclusion of the piece, where we learn the truth of the video production’s company involvement (or lack thereof) in Stone’s descent into online ridicule feels like a gut-punch. There is a real potential in this piece, but it is weighed down by antiquated Internet references and a feminist undertone that comes a little too late.