'Beekeeper' at Rhythmix Cultural Works Delights

By Dan Brodnitz

Often, the most compelling art comes from focusing on the particular: diving into specifics to illuminate larger themes. A great example of this is Beekeeper, by Alameda's Jennifer Lynne Roberts, currently running at .

Beekeeper is produced by , a Bay Area company that has offered an eclectic range of productions, from operas to Shakespeare to original works such as this one.

Roberts’ play takes a deep dive into the world of bees, beekeepers and the science around colony collapse disorder to explore one family’s intertwined relationships and history.

Under the excellent direction of Laura Lundy-Paine, the show weaves back and forth in time, allowing for conversations and emotional collisions between Oleta, her child self and her estranged father.

The relationships among the characters echo the dances of the bees, described by Oleta’s father with bright eyes and wild, enthusiastic gestures. A family’s collapse mirrors the state of the hives; Roberts asks if redemption of one can imply salvation for the other.

The cast is excellent. Of particular note is Alameda resident Donald Hardy, who does a masterful job portraying a father in strength and weakness, with affection and rage.

The production I saw also featured young Trixie Klein, understudy for the key role of "child Oleta," stepping into the part for the first time and with very little notice, though you wouldn't have guessed it from her calm and affecting performance.

Rounding out the cast are nuanced performances by Melissa Keith, Julian Lafferty, George McRae, and Sandi Rubay. The action often revolves around different pairs of actors and each matched set offers a distinct and vivid dynamic.

There's a lot to love about this show — from the sharp details of the set, like the hive-shaped hole in the back wall of the house, to the way the cast's relationships develop over, and through, time. I was particularly charmed by the rhythm of the piece, which, looking back on it, felt very much like the flight of a very particular, very specific bumblebee.

, with advance tickets available at brownpapertickets.com. For more information: viragotheatre.org.