For almost a decade now, Kindling Arts Festival has been showcasing local artists across Nashville in a four-day event. This Festival presents over twenty shows in eight venues and sets the stage for more than one hundred fifty artists to share their work. This year, Kindling explored the theme of Utopias. This theme allowed artists to experiment with the ideas of freedom and liberation, and how Utopias will often lead to a descent into dystopia.

Through the Kindling Arts Festival, I had the opportunity to see Late Stage Elisabeth in the Barbershop Theater on July 25^th. The dimly lit black box and the pink and purple lighting set the stage well for this insane and topical variety show. It was interactive, introspective and so entertaining– it made for such a fun night out. Late Stage Elisabeth is a wonderful social commentary on women’s bodily autonomy; it is a satire with witty humor and apocalyptic survivalist tips.

Late Stage Elisabeth was a one woman show with four acts, each exploring a different gripe the deviser, Elisabeth Donaldson, had about surviving in the world as a woman today. Using characters that are popular on her social media, Elisabeth took the audience on a journey through her experiences in womanhood. Act one opened with her character “The Crystal Healer” who encouraged the audience to reconnect with the earth. This character was such a fun way to open the show and instantly get the audience comfortable and excited for the rest of the performance. Conversely, in her second act, Elisabeth’s character portrayed herself, lamenting about the worst parts of being a woman in the political landscape we live in today. By adding herself into this portion of the show, Elisabeth related to the female audience members for a more intimate and less comedic act. In the third act, her “Apocalyptic Survivalist” character started by asking if the audience was ready for the world to end. Starting this act with a satirical question like this was such a great break in any tension that may have built in the act before, and was such a hilarious and effective way to interact with the audience and leave everyone wondering if they were prepared for our world’s end. In the fourth and final act of Late Stage Elisabeth, she presented the “Cougar” character that encouraged the audience, satirically of course, to not worry about all of life’s troubles and just date younger men, which contrasts to earlier characters because of the less feminist approach to the hard parts of being a woman.

Working well with Elisabeth’s witty humor, the technical elements provided a whimsical and approachable atmosphere. The lighting design aided well with the different acts; for example, in the more down to earth and relatable moments in the show, the lighting was more intimate by utilizing blackouts, single spotlights, and dimmer lighting. To contrast, during the show’s more wild and upbeat moments, the lighting was jovial and friendly with flashing pink or purple lights. The lighting helped the audience know if a scene was more satirical or serious; it worked well in tandem with Elisabeth’s ideas. I also really enjoyed her use of props with the audience, especially in her third act with the “Apocalyptic Survivalist” character. She distributed food rations and a ham radio to the audience, had an audience member try to pack a fake wound, and I even received a water filter straw. Her use of props with audience interaction and participation was such a fun and immersive way to make the show feel comedic and relatable, while still allowing for the show to feel relevant and purposeful.

Late Stage Elisabeth had a very raw and visceral feel to it but was handled with an appropriate amount of comedy so that it was still incredibly enjoyable as an audience member. Elisabeth Donaldson framed the content in a way that made it feel real yet approachable. The subject matter was topical and hit so close to home– especially as a female observer. The show felt real and down to earth, balanced with a sense of lighthearted fun that allowed the harder conversations to sink in and internalize with the audience. Late Stage Elisabeth was a perfect show for a night out on the town that left me feeling empowered and ready to survive the apocalypse!

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Clarissa Morrell

Clarissa Morrell is currently getting her BFA in Musical Theater Performance at Middle Tennessee State University. She is a lover of the arts and an avid reader.

• Surviving the Apocalypse with Elisabeth Donaldson!