‘The Girl Laughs, The Girl Cries, The Girl Does Nothing’ is a gentle journey

“Thrice upon a time...” So begins the charming fairy tale that is suitable for the entire family. Triplet sisters, each with their own way of dealing with life, lose their mother in a tragic accident. Each daughter has very distinct personality traits. Albienne is the one with inner perspective. Beatrix loves sweets and knows what she wants in life while Carmen is outdoorsy and adventurous. When their father woos and weds a new wife the girls find themselves abandoned in the middle of the forest thus their adventure begins.

Each takes their fate in stride doing what is ingrained in their particular personalities. Over the course of twenty years two of the sisters circle the globe while the third sets up house in the forest that she was left in. Eventually the three reenter each other’s lives as their changes have grown more distinct. During their varied lives they fight vikings, plant thousands of cherry trees in groups of three in memory of the three sisters, travel around the world and its seven seas, tame a forest, become a baker and found love and romance right where they are.

Under normal theatrical conditions this show involves a number of actors playing the various roles of sisters, father, step mother and husband to the stay behind sister. This Beck Center for the Arts production puts that all on its ear as the entire play has one actor, Derdriu Ring playing all of the parts with aplomb.

In a gentle forest glade designed by Mark Devol Derdeiu glides into view on her tricycle bike and into your hearts. Each and every character is definitive and distinct and the story line is quite easy to follow. The only complaint would be that either Ring needs to be mic’d a bit louder or she needs to project a bit more.

The play premiered in Australia in 2011 and has received numerous awards during its various runs. Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer, the Beck Center production is Directed by Eric Schmiedl. Costume Design is by Betty Pitcher with Lighting Design by Tim Chrisman with Sound Design by Angie Mayes.

This coming of age saga is a lesson for all of us to grow into ourselves no matter how others perceive us or try to get us to change. Derdriu Ring masterfully handles the multiple roles without a single hic-up.

“The Girl Laughs, The Girl Cries, The Girl Does Nothing” is at the Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio, through August 8, 2021. For more information go to www.beckcenter.org or call (216) 521-2540.