“Dido of Idaho” at The Echo Theater Co

Nora is a mess. Played on stage by Alana Dietze, the 30-something baroque musicologist is embroiled in a steamy sexual relationship with a slightly older married man, Michael, played by Joby Earle. Cavorting drunkenly with the English professor in his apartment, she presses Michael for more commitment, for assurances that he will finally leave his wife to start a life with her. Michael placates Nora with the usual promises and cavils that the timing is not good right now… Imprudently falling asleep in his apartment after he’s departed, Nora is awakened by his wife Crystal (Nicole DuPort) a former Miss Idaho (actually, the runner-up) turned social media ‘influencer’ who at first seems excited by the prospect of imparting some wisdom until she learns exactly who Nora is and what she’s been doing there. Things abruptly turn violent and Nora flees to the Rocky Mountains to seek comfort from her estranged mother, Julie (Julie Dretzin) and Julie’s new partner, Ethel (Elissa Middleton).

A few performances remain this weekend to see Dido of Idaho by Abby Rosebrock at The Echo Theater Company. A pitch dark comedy, it focusses on the malaise of a woman who has drifted away from her academic ambitions and self-destructively towards a dead-end love affair that, after two years, holds little promise; rather, it affirms her feelings of hopelessness and lovelessness. The banter is witty, and lively, with references in the opening scene’s dialogue to the Greek myth of Dido, tragic Queen of Carthage in Virgil’s epic poem Aeneid, serving as a loose allegory for our troubled heroine’s dilemma. The scenes involving Dido’s mother and her girlfriend color Dido’s predicament in a very interesting way.

Performances are great across the board, especially Nicole DuPort as the driven wanna-be celebrity Crystal.

Directed by Abigail Dreser, the play’s performance style is sometimes as messy and unfinished as its central protagonist. During their drunken, post-coital conversation, Nora helps herself to Crystal’s nail polish and, inexplicably, only paints the nails of one hand. Nora claims she can’t find her underwear, inciting some mild panic, but after Michael departs, we see she’s lying—she’s wearing the allegedly missing panties, which she immediately strips off muttering “too uncomfortable.” A couple of flashes of nudity feel unnecessary and pointless. Costume design by Dianne Graebner is so naturalistic that the actors seem to be wearing their own wardrobe—Crystal, in particular, appears too sloppily attired to suit her aspirational character. Upon her arrival, Crystal lets rip a fiery monologue at the same time as she (impressively!) whips up a batch of cookies from scratch and bakes them on set. The other half of the cookie dough is later baked—in a completely different time and place—by Nora’s Mom’s lover, and never gets taken out of the mini oven… Why?!

Playwright Abby Rosebrock may have been inspired by the plight of Virgil’s tale of Dido, but she compassionately delivers her modern heroine a more meaningful and less fatal outcome. I enjoyed this play and recommend it.

Dido of Idaho 

Written by Abby Rosebrock
• Directed by Abigail Dreser
• Starring Alana Dietze, Julie Dretzin, Nicole DuPort, Joby Earle, Elissa Middleton
• Presented by The Echo Theater Company, Chris Fields artistic director

WHEN:
Performances: July 20 – August 26, 2024

• Fridays at 8 p.m.: July 19 (preview), July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Aug. 16, Aug. 23
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: July 20 (opening night), July 27, Aug. 3, Aug. 10, Aug. 17, Aug. 24
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: July 21, July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 11, Aug. 18, Aug. 25
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: July 22, July 29, Aug. 5, Aug. 12, Aug. 19, Aug. 26

Echo Theater Company
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039

PARKING:
FREE in the Atwater Crossing (AXT) lot one block south of the theater

TICKET PRICES:
Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays: $34
Mondays: Pay–What–You–Want
Previews: Pay–What–You–Want

HOW:
www.EchoTheaterCompany.com
(747) 350-8066