‘RUST: A Story of Steel and Grit’ is a Polished and Transportive Piece of Theater

The cast of “RUST: A Story of Steel and Grit” at Dobama Theatre. Credit: Photo Credit: Steve Wagner Photography

Upon attending a show, theatergoers enter into a sort of agreement with the theater company. A good audience member employs a suspension of disbelief, temporarily casting aside logic, skepticism and implausibility in order to enjoy the storytelling before them. In return, the theater company does its best to whisk that audience member away into the world they’ve created.

Suspension of disbelief can require a bit of effort. However, Dobama Theatre’s latest production will thoroughly whisk you away for 90 minutes of exceptional theater without you even having to try.

Dobama’s world premiere of “RUST: A Story of Steel and Grit” is a wholly immersive, refreshingly new piece of theater that envelops you so completely, it transcends mere storytelling and reaches a degree of artistry that promises to both transport and move you.

“RUST: A Story of Steel and Grit” tells the true story of Eliese, a Cleveland native. Eliese is only three signatures away from receiving a master’s degree in English, but her bipolar disorder, a traumatic past and the recession have curtailed her career aspirations. In an effort to earn enough money to pay off her crushing debt, she secures a job in a Cleveland steel mill where she is one of only a handful of women employed. Eliese struggles to manage her mental health, overcome her past, come to terms with her present and navigate relationships with her boyfriend and coworkers–all while trying not to die in a horrible, but far too common, steel mill accident.

The new play is based on the novel “Rust: A Memoir of Steel and Grit” by Eliese Colette Goldbach and was adapted for the stage by George Brant. Northeast Ohioans should feel fortunate to experience the piece’s world premiere, especially in the capable and experienced hands of director Laura Kepley.

“RUST” requires that a powerful, relatable actress guide audiences through Eliese’s story, and Kelly Strand fits this bill perfectly. Strand is engaging and empathetic in her portrayal of Eliese, making the character feel accessible, and most importantly, authentic. This relatability helps the play pack a real punch. You have no choice but to buy into Eliese; you cheer her successes, bemoan her failures and are entirely invested in the outcome of her tale.

While the show touches on a variety of heavy topics, including sexual assault, mental health and suicide–the exploration of which are heart-shattering–there are plenty of moments of levity. The script, paired with Strand’s likability, allows for plenty of laughs and triumphant moments, ensuring that audiences walk away inspired.

Helping tell the story of “RUST” are Robert Ellis, Eric Fancher and Kristie Lang, who play Actor 1, Actor 2 and Actor 3, respectively. In these roles, Ellis, Fancher and Lang don various jackets, button-downs and overalls (thanks to costume designer Tesia Dugan Benson) to portray a wide range of supporting characters. A chameleon-like Ellis plays gruff, blue-collar mill workers as well as Eliese’s father. Fancher swaps a hard hat for glasses as he switches between portraying coworkers and Eliese’s boyfriend. And Lang steps into the role of Eliese’s various doctors and mother. All impress with their ability to adopt various accents and personas at the drop of a hard hat.

If you’re from Cleveland, then the collection of warehouses and stacks that make up the local steel mill have likely faded into your subconscious. The Industrial Valley with its eternal flame is a piece of our landscape, and many of us have the (subjective) fortune to rarely think anything of it. “RUST” takes us into the world of a steel mill, and it is like stepping onto a different, very dangerous, planet.

Dobama’s production team can be highly commended for the exceptional ways in which they depict the overwhelming scale, gritty essence and inherent danger that comes hand-in-hand with the mill. Ben Needham’s set design features chain link fences, a railed walkway and imposing, riveted steel beams that emit a molten glow, all of which welcome audiences into this world of steel. The cast wheels about industrial tables, carts and platforms to create everything from pinball machines to forklifts and hatchbacks. Beautiful, abstract projections, courtesy of T. Paul Lowry, are cast along the back wall of the stage, adding perspective to the setting.

Designer Megan Culley uses all manner of sound effects to depict the thunderous, scorching, mechanical steel mill. Michael Boll uses cool blues and sweltering reds in his lighting design to transport us into Eliese’s gritty, stifling workplace. Together, the lighting and sound design lend the production an immense level of depth and intensity.

The effectiveness of the combined talent of the cast and creatives comes across most effectively during depictions of the more dangerous tasks Eliese must tackle. Try not to hold your breath as she tips a crane bucket to an unreasonably steep degree, navigates a burdened forklift or labors over a vat of molten metal–it’s nigh impossible.

Of course, these moments, and many more, require you to use your imagination, suspending your disbelief. Yet, Dobama tells Eliese Colette Goldbach’s harrowing, beautiful narrative with such artistry and skill that it requires next to no effort to be utterly and completely enveloped in the story they’ve crafted. Prepare to be transported into a world of steel and grit.

“RUST: A Story of Steel and Grit” runs through May 18 at Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights. Visit dobama.org or call (216) 932-3396 for tickets, $35-42.

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