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★★★☆☆ Pam McKinnon directs Eisa Davis’ play with music featuring four young virtuosos in search of harmony.
Eisa Davis’ drama, ||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :||. is a painfully intimate portrait of four high school-age girls attending a summer music program in the San Francisco Bay Area. Besides being young women of color, they have little in common except for the fact that they’re each incredibly gifted musicians. And it’s only through their music that they’re able to honestly communicate with one another.
The dynamic feels entirely real and yet too real. For an hour and 45 intermissionless minutes, when they’re not making music, the girls sound and act like typical teenagers – naive, insecure and full of emotions they’re not yet equipped to handle. Friendships come and go; signals are mixed, and they can’t seem to get their equilibrium in a world that’s forever shifting beneath their feet.
Davis drives the point home literally with heavy-handed symbolism as the girls are constantly interrupted by earthquake activity. The rumbling earth is the most action to be found in this play that’s dominated almost entirely by the girls’ ceaseless angst. Their inability to understand each other is a repeated refrain that goes on too long. And to hammer that point home, the musical notations in the title – ||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :|| – refer to music that loops to the beginning and repeats.
Davis’ knows her characters well. The writing is certainly authentic yet indulgent and the text could benefit from cuts. But to the production’s great credit, the four performers are pitch perfect. And I use the words deliberately because they’re each extraordinarily talented actors and musicians. They were in the production that originated at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater earlier this year and I have to commend the casting director for discovering them.
Fax (Hillary Fisher) is a soprano with a gorgeous set of pipes. She’s a striver and perfectionist – that girl who talks a lot before she thinks. And she doesn’t realize how talented she is, saying:
I was only hearing the criticism from the guys
hearing it echo within me
give up if you’re not perfect at that
On the other side of the spectrum is Margot (Naomi Latta) a drummer who exudes confidence beyond her young years. And when she exclaims things like “words are not my vibe”, the girls look to her as the one who’s got her act together. But it doesn’t take long to realize it’s all a pretense to cover up a deeply painful and lonely life.
Rile (Yeena Sung) plays the piano. Unlike Fax who sees herself as a musical purist, Rile enjoys improvising, even the classics.That freedom to go off the page sparks tension between the girls.
But finally when all three collaborate on their own music and Fax sings
never been to this part of my life
never know if I’m doing it right
out the window there’s nothing but time
am I moving or is life passing me by
it’s the play’s climax, a lovely fleeting crescendo that marks the high point of the girls’ young lives; and they relish the moment, not realizing how quickly it will all disappear. Pity for the audience as well since these musical interludes – the play’s highlights – are too few and far between.
The 4th character, Clementine (Gianna DiGregorio Rivera), is a loner who just wants to practice her instruments, mainly the flute and bass saxophone. She’s the least complicated in the group and the least social which, in this environment, seems to be the healthiest way to go.
Pam McKinnon is a wonderfully perceptive director and she pulls beautifully nuanced performances from each of the women. The entire production has a polished look and the technical team is a huge plus. Nina Ball’s scenic design, fronted by four platforms for each of the girls, surrounded by floor to ceiling pillars and columns gets an added boost by Russell H. Champa’s colorfully mood-inducing lights. And Mel Ng’s costumes contribute much to define the individual personalities.
Anyone who’s spent time with high school girls will recognize the four characters in this work struggling to make sense of their lives. But as presented, ||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :|| feels less of a fully realized play and more like a character study depicting cliquish teen girl behavior and it drags in spots. By the time Margot states: “It’ll be great when we’re done being teenagers and never have emotions again,” the message is all too clear. These are young women who have lots of growing up to do. If only there was more music to quicken the tempo.
||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :|| opened May 28, 2026, at the Vineyard Theater and runs through June 21. Tickets and information: vineyardtheatre.org
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