Sugarcoated at Masquerade Theatre

by Brian Herrick

You walk into what you think is a regular solo show at the Masquerade Theatre on your normal Saturday night, and are immediately transported back to your favorite 16 Candles-esque school dance. Flooded with collegiate memories, with a touch of your favorite Princess Birthday party sprinkled on top, you immediately realize this was not the evening you expected. As patrons are ushered into this intimate space (sitting around 25-30 others), you finally reach your chair and are gifted with plenty of trinkets, a party hat, stickers, and other various party favors. One thing is immediately clear, we are not spectators, but guests for Jen Ponton’s party, as we are treated to an evening of masterful storytelling in “Sugarcoated”. 

“Sugarcoated” is a 3 Act, 75 minute solo show (with no intermission) written by/starring Ponton herself. It chronicles her life from self described “awkward” youth, all the way through present day. You are taken for a ride as you join this head of the party through summer camp, that awkward first dance in middle school (why do we still put kids through that?!), High School Theatre (sorry! Forensics*) Competitions, and more. For me, the real hook of Sugarcoated really came from the nuance of not shying away from (or Sugarcoating?) some of the troubling experiences of youth, stemmed from deep rooted generational trauma. She carries these themes throughout the show in a way that doesn’t feel heavy handed, leaving the audience grieving her losses, and celebrating her wins. 

Beyond their clear skill in writing, this New Jersey native is a celebrated performer in New York, and it’s easy to see why. Jen Ponton does a fantastic job of mapping out the individual scenes, and giving them their own specific arcs, which she successfully earns. It keeps the piece from being stagnant. The show is broken up into a series of tableau’s highlighting different portions of the timeline of her life. I don’t want to give too much away about the actual trials and tribulations of her journey, but there’s a certain ease into the more adult themes that leave the later half of the show feeling like we’re watching a friend going through a crisis, rather than a planned performance. Ponton does a fantastic job of making a clear point to connect with the audience, making deliberate decisions to maintain eye contact with specific party guests at clearly planned times (while maintaining an organic energy). Between this ease, and the specificity of her comedy, I left the theatre not entirely opposed to an Act 2 (maybe we’ll get someday when there’s more story to tell). 

As always, I cannot rave enough about the intimate feel of Masquerade Theatre. South Jersey proper really gains to benefit from such flexible Theatre in the round. As I spend more time in this Riverside space, I’m floored by the adaptability that solo shows and smaller pieces have to utilize here. Tommy Balne’s unique lighting structures are perfect for this piece in particular. They highlight and really support the world of this piece. Ponton having the ability to really approach the audience at eye level in this set up further allowed the audience to connect to not just her story, but the concept that we were there with her, ready to answer her questions, living this experience as she described it so well, as her friends. 

Unfortunately this was a one night only event, but I’m sure after such an enjoyable evening, this is not the last we’ll see of this piece. In the event you are lucky enough to be a party guest for “Sugercoated” in the future, it should be noted that there are themes of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and other various adult topics. This writer truly can’t wait to see what the future holds for this piece.