Cappies Review: 'The Heidi Chronicles' At Lake Braddock Secondary

By Zibby English of South County High School

You can dance, you can jive, you can laugh, you can cry in Lake Braddock's stellar performance of The Heidi Chronicles!

The phenomenal cast and crew of The Heidi Chronicles brilliantly displayed the true and sentimental story of Heidi Holland in this drama with a touch of comedy as it tells the impactful story of a bright young woman spanning from the years 1965 to 1989. The play was a series of scenes jumping between time periods as the decades, and Heidi's understanding of the world around her, changes.

Lake Braddock's fall production of The Heidi Chronicles was a beautiful ode to the hip decades that were the 60s through the 80s. From the live band to the exquisite technical elements and the stellar acting performances, The Heidi Chronicles took the audience back in time to experience these great cultural moments in history.

The role of Heidi Holland was triumphantly portrayed by Liesl Winternitz. Winternitz was one who commanded the stage and sunk into her role. Heidi seemed real and was excellently displayed through Winternitz's physicality of the character, genuine and sincere facial expressions, and her great diction and inflection of words. Heidi Holland was a sophisticated and successful, yet humble and kind, art historian and professor. Liesl Winternitz was that and more. Whether the character of Heidi was conducting a lecture, expressing her feelings, or spieling about a recent life event in a pivotal monologue, Liesl Winternitz was able to hold her character and make the audience mere side characters in Heidi's awe-inspiring life story. Winternitz was a joy to watch as she valiantly and comfortably took on the role of the brilliant Heidi Holland.

The stubborn yet lovable role of Susan Johnston was expertly portrayed by Lake Rusch. Susan Johnston was an interesting character to experience as her character development was drastic and strong. During act I, Susan was an insecure, shy, and hopeful young woman with strong feminist ideals. By Act II, Susan was a corporate woman who slowly started to lose her touch and fall more into the ideals of societal expectations. Lake Rusch did a phenomenal job at adjusting and making that change in character. The vocal tone switched, and the physicality changed to have a purpose. Susan transferred from being a fun friend of Heidi's to an intentional, diligent woman who would pave her own path. Lake Rusch was a powerhouse and such an energetic person to watch.

The tech of The Heidi Chronicles set this show apart from anything else. Firstly, the set was beautifully lit with LED lights which set the mood and tone for each scene. The lights team used gobos to add to the set. In Act II, a shadow of a window can be seen on the stage floor in Heidi's apartment. With a minimal set of a rocking chair and a lamp, this interesting gobo had a great lighting effect that elevated the overall performance. Costumes were another great standout. Costumes played a critical role in distinguishing each time frame and differentiating each character in a unique way. Each costume was fashion-forward for its era and had the audience's eyes glued to the stage. Lastly, the stupendous stage crew's movement of set pieces on and off stage was so fluid and wasted little time. The stage crew made it possible so that there was never a dull moment on stage.

Lake Braddock portrayed this sensational story in such a sentimental and nostalgic way with believable acting performances and inventive technical elements. So, make sure to check out The Heidi Chronicles!