'Green Door' begins with some text on the screen: “Why don’t they just leave?” This is one, if not the most hated question by abuse survivors. But for those who know nothing about partner abuse, it’s an understandable one. And as 'Green Door' begins, we expect this question to be answered, and it is.
When we meet Ann Brown, she’s in her car with her parents and sons, headed to their holiday spot. This scene feels like the perfect metaphor for Brown’s life: hectic and chaotic, but always headed towards something that’s hopefully better. The scene also immediately makes us enamored of Brown. She’s relatable, funny, and captivating, and throughout the play, that never changes.
When the family arrives at their vacation spot, Brown immediately gets everyone settled, so that she can scurry away and find a little peace. In the local bar, she meets Danny, a dream of a man that will later become her nightmare. But for now, we are as enchanted with him as Brown is, and it seems to just keep getting better.
Danny charms her from the beginning with a night-time picnic overlooking a picturesque scene. Brown describes this date as “corny, but perfect” and it is. Not long after, Danny sends flowers to Brown’s job, making her the envy of her co-workers. In three months, Danny has moved in with Brown and her children, and everything seems perfect.
The great mastery of 'Green Door' is that you almost feel like you yourself are being conned by Danny. Although Brown is the sole performer, her storytelling is so vivid, it’s almost as if you’re there with her, stumbling through her memories as she remembers them. You’re right there in the club in Ibiza with Brown and Danny on their first vacation, and you’re there in their room, when Danny hits her for the first time. And while this assault seems unjustifiable and unforgiveable, you can see why Brown stays when Danny explains that he was just upset because she left without telling him. I mean, you’d be upset too if your partner left while you were both in a foreign country without telling you.
As we go deeper into Brown’s story, everything gets messier and deeper. Much like quicksand, the more Brown tries to get away, the more she’s pulled back in. At one point, Brown says that she lost all perspective, and it’s no wonder that she did! When her dad dies, both Danny and her mother convince her to go on a holiday that she and we know she has no business going on. And when Danny almost kills her, all she can think about is her son. The “why” in “Why didn’t you just leave?” instantly becomes so clear. Especially when you realize that Danny wasn’t just a blip in Brown’s history, but a ten year plus ordeal.
There is so much to be said about 'Green Door' that cannot be contained in a review. Performer, Ann Brown and director, Daniel Brennan crafted a fantastic piece that needs to be seen.
Reviewer - Rebecca Tessier
on - 17/5/20
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