SPSCC’s 'A Bright Room Called Day'
Originally published on The JOLT News on November 21, 2025
Just as a shadow grows bigger when the light moves closer to the object, so does the blatant truth of history repeating itself when we allow fascism into our government and society. The larger that shadow gets, the further its impact spreads into both the conscious and subconscious of the individual.
This never happens without warning. Some run away from shadows, others toward them, and the brave fight to bring light back into the world and eliminate the darkness. Such are the truths that were revealed to me in the SPSCC Theatre Collective’s production of “A Bright Room Called Day.”
Compelling performances
Everything about this production impressed me: the set design was effective, the choice of music played between scene breaks was haunting, the costume design was effective, and the acting was superb.
Rachel Permann’s depiction of Agnes was compelling, and Permann’s emotional range as an actress elevated the honest and realistic qualities of this character. To some degree, Agnes is all of us. Just as she has free will, so do we.
There are moments presented to Agnes (and the rest of the characters too) where she is forced to make hard choices that we could easily be angered by. I wanted to yell, “What are you doing? Don’t you see what is happening?” She is a kind of moderate, very neutral, but made ineffective by her paralyzing fear and unwillingness to jeopardize what she values most for the greater good.
Dale Sharp, Meghan Goodman, Jesse Morrow, Tom Sanders, Jewelz Boiling, and the remaining cast and crew deserve a round of applause for their dedication to their characters and gumption stepping into the uncomfortable moments the script calls for. I especially applaud Director Dr. Lauren Love on the creative choices and guidance she gave that made this show so impactful.
‘The Haunting Truth’
In this production, we see how the past, present, and future entangle themselves in knots when we deny reality and do not do anything to stop the further progression of evil. We see both the good and bad, the courageous and cowarding, the conviction and the lack thereof that none of us are exempt from. This play serves as a warning to remain conscious and beware of the boundary that exists between survival, selfishness, and complacency. This is a sobering slap in the face we all need right now.
There is a line that remains with me: “Weimar had a constitution too!” In a world crumbling as we speak, we want to hold on to the steadfast illusion of security within our United States Constitution, but laws can be broken, agreements ignored, and a constitution suddenly becomes just an old piece of paper. That should frighten all of us, but then ignite our passion to keep our own democracy intact. There are many ways to do that, but one of them is to continue to engage in and support the arts.
What you need to know
I invite you, challenge you, compel you to go see this work. Fair warning, the show is three hours not including a 10 minute intermission, so prepare wisely. Don’t let its length daunt you, it’s worth it.
You can see SPSCC’s “A Bright Room Called Day” through the end of this weekend at the Kenneth J. Minaret Center for the Arts on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is a suggested $12 donation.
Learn more here.
https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/spsccs-a-bright-room-called-day,27136?