Toronto is currently buzzing with the Canadian premiere of Jasmine Lee-Jones's explosive play, Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner.

Directed by Jay Northcott and presented by Obsidian Theatre in association with Crow's Theatre, this production offers a fiery exploration of race, beauty standards, and social media dynamics. It stars Jasmine Case and Déjah Dixon-Green and is being showcased at Streetcar Crowsnest until Sunday, May 26.

Inspired by Toni Morrison:

The Bluest Eye as a Muse
Jasmine Lee-Jones, a young Black British playwright, drew inspiration from Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye for her debut piece. In her heart-wrenching novel, Morrison depicted a Black girl in the 1940s warped by white beauty standards. Fast forward 80 years, and Lee-Jones addresses how Black girls today contend with white celebrities appropriating their physical features while leaving them feeling inferior.


Cleo's Rage:

Social Media Storm Against Kylie Jenner
The play centers on Cleo, portrayed by Dixon-Green, a university student who unleashes her fury on Kylie Jenner after Forbes names Jenner the world's youngest «self-made» billionaire. Cleo takes to Twitter, pre-X era, to vent her anger, proposing exaggerated methods of eliminating Jenner. This provocative online behavior elicits predictable backlash, with Cleo facing racist and hateful comments. However, she remains unyielding, escalating her grotesque suggestions in a satirical tirade against white privilege and cultural appropriation.


Kara's Role:

Friendship and Hidden Pain
Cleo's tirade is observed by her queer best friend, Kara, played by Jasmine Case. Kara attempts to temper Cleo's rage while uncovering deeper reasons behind her friend's vitriol. It's revealed that Cleo's Black lover recently left her for a white woman, adding layers to her anger. As their conversations intensify, old resentments and animosities between the friends surface, threatening their relationship.

Staging and Performance:

Dynamic and Engaging
Jay Northcott makes a memorable Obsidian directing debut, channeling intense energy into the play. Designer Nick Blais's imaginative set, featuring a bed resembling a volcanic mouth, adds to the visual spectacle. Laura Warren's video design vividly depicts social media chaos, with screens displaying multiplying hashtags and replies. Dixon-Green's portrayal of Cleo is fierce, capturing both her brash overconfidence and inner turmoil. Case complements this with a laid-back, hashish-vaping Kara, creating a dynamic and engaging performance duo.

Social Media and Identity:

A Contemporary Tale
Lee-Jones's play intertwines heated conversations with snarky tweets from Cleo's detractors, maintaining a feverish social media pace. The story touches on homophobia and shade-ism affecting Cleo and Kara's friendship and critiques the societal messages young Black girls receive about their worth. By the play's end, the social-media lingo fades, and the characters express themselves more plainly and eloquently, highlighting the offline drama's significance.

Historical Context:

Referencing Sarah Baartman
Lee-Jones references Sarah Baartman's story, a 19th-century South African woman exhibited as the «Hottentot Venus» to white Europeans. This historical context provides a poignant counterpoint to Kylie Jenner's narrative, reminding audiences of ongoing issues of racial exploitation and beauty standards.

While The Bluest Eye and Baartman's story are tragic, Cleo's defiance suggests a more hopeful future. Lee-Jones effectively highlights the impact of racist beauty standards on Black women and the growing resistance against them, marking progress in the ongoing fight for equality and self-acceptance.

Source: Toronto Star