In times of great sorrow, hope can feel like a fallacy. How can one find peace in a seemingly cruel and uncaring world? When injustice persists at home or halfway around the globe, is there room left for joy?
This question is what “The Joy Ride” is seeking to answer. The play, developed by writer and director Jesse Bliss, follows four friends who reckon with their past, present and future. Together, they must learn how to find solace and warmth in times of peril.
“The Joy Ride” stars Darian Dauchan as Kenzi, a man re-entering society after 29 years of incarceration; Ashlee Olivia as Yasmine, who wrestles with the aftermath of an abusive relationship; Marlene Luna Castañeda as Lina, a struggling single mother profoundly affected by the conflict in Gaza; and Reginald P. Louis as Rafael, afflicted with the debilitating effects of Long COVID.
Described as an “immersive site-specific touring production,” a black 1969 Chevrolet Nova convertible serves as the outdoor stage, the driving force both literally and figuratively for how the story unfolds. Mass-incarceration, domestic violence and the effects of colonialism are topics at the forefront of “The Joy Ride.”
Bliss envisioned the idea of a traveling production on wheels in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She recalled that the idea of delivering a show out of a convertible, in order to encourage social distancing between actors and audience, came to her “like a bolt of lightning.”
Bliss teaches film at Woodrow Wilson High School and has close ties to the TVFM department at Cal State LA. She said she is proud of the alliance between the two schools, which often sees high school seniors enter the TVFM department after graduation.
She said the mission of her production company, the Roots and Wings Project, is to take a look at the past, “good, bad and ugly,” in order to move accordingly in the future.
“There’s a theme in my work about the power of the past and honoring it,” Bliss said.
The power of the past takes the form of a mysterious keepsake from Kenzi passed down by his grandfather, which he believes can provide insight into where joy comes from. It is this Akashic artifact that leads the group to understand the root of truth, love and wisdom that resides within themselves.
“The most essential elements of humanity are ancient,” Bliss said. “They stand the test of time, and they don’t change, no matter what.”
Olivia, who plays Yasmine, said that the role has been healing for her. Both Olivia and her character have dealt with the loss of family in their lives, and it is through “The Joy Ride” that both find room to grieve and how to honor their memory.
“I’ve held onto things my dad said right before, my grandpa said right before,” Olivia said. “There’s so much power and magic and healing in a message from someone that is no longer here.”
The production has changed over time, incorporating new topics into its story since its workshop pilot in 2020. Back then, the play discussed violence against women and the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Having suffered from Long COVID herself, Bliss said the current iteration of the production was informed by her experiences, and had to evolve with current events.
“I was so torn inside over what was happening, or what is happening, to the Palestinian people, people all over the world, and in the United States,” Bliss said. “It crushed me so heavily that there was no way it wasn’t going to show up in the writing.”
Audience reception has been positive, with the four characters providing four different perspectives for viewers to hear from. Both Olivia and Bliss said that audience members have come up to them and the other actors after the show saying they felt seen and important.
“I’ve literally had a couple people come up to me and just say, ‘Wow, I never thought of this,’ or, ‘I need to really start putting myself first and putting my happiness first, thank you,’” Olivia said. “It’s like a self help book on wheels.”
The final showings of “The Joy Ride” in Los Angeles run this weekend at the Graff Angeles Gallery in the Arts District, on Friday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. The show then tours the Bay Area the following weekend, from Oct. 18 to 20.
This article was first published in the October 9 print edition of the University Times.
