eMPhasis Theatre Company

Brilliant Traces

By Cindy Lou Johnson

Deep in the Alaskan wilderness, a runaway bride finds shelter from a blizzard in a cabin occupied by a hermit. They’re stuck, but these two lonely strangers alternately repel and attract one another. The storm outside imprisoning them pales in comparison to their traumas. Will these snow-bound refugees find each other?

Returning to London stages for the first time in 10 years, this little-known American gem marks the debut of eMPhasis Theatre Company.

Co-producer Michael Feldsher, “This show addresses issues of grief, anxiety, depression, and in a post-pandemic world their isolation is especially resonant. Our inner demons can really alienate us, but they're sometimes the catalysts for healing.”

Reviews from the Broadway premiere in 1989:

“...deals with common issues of love and family, and does so with characters, story and dialogue so fantastic that they could exist only within the enchanted realm of the stage.”
- The New York Times

“...one of those plays in which a man and woman battle it out in a small enclosed space, alternately repulsing and seducing each other.”
- The New Yorker

“...kooky, weird and definitely off-kilter, but if taken in the right spirit, illuminating about how we live today.”
- Backstage