Berkshire on Stage

by Emily Edelman

Lena Kaminsky’s play “Salvage” at Dorset Theatre Festival is set at a small-town transfer station, and uses the actions of sorting through trash and unwanted personal items as a metaphor for reclaiming and repairing the pieces of broken lives.

Each of the play’s three main characters has recently suffered the termination of a significant relationship, and their conflicting emotions are visible just below the surface of every personal interaction. Though all three actors elicit a certain amount of sympathy from the audience for their characters’ plights, the standout might be Marcia DeBonis, whose good-natured and affable Elaine powers through life with a smile plastered to her face that hides the deep heartbreak of profound loss.

Director M. Bevin O’Gara heightens the awkwardness the characters feel in their lives by providing staging that keeps them separate: A respectful distance is always maintained, and the impression is strong that they are protecting themselves from further emotional pain while yearning for connection at the same time.

Christopher and Justin Swader’s set consists of an area for recycling bins and garbage as well as the transfer station office, and the attention to detail is effective and realistic. Daisy Long impressively lights the “indoor” and “outdoor” spaces at the same time.

“Salvage” runs through Saturday, July 5. https://dorsettheatrefestival.org/

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Playwright: Lena Kaminsky. Director: M. Bevin O’Gara. Cast: Eeva Kaminsky, Robbie Sublett, Marcia DeBonis. Scenic designers: Christopher & Justin Swader. Costume designer: Chelsea Kerl. Lighting designer: Daisy Long. Sound designer: M.L. Dogg. Production stage manager: Colleen M. Rooney.