‘People, Places & Things’ examines addiction, on and off stage

Celina Colby

Celina Colby is an arts and travel reporter with a fondness for Russian novels.... VIEW BIO

Duncan Macmillan’s powerful show about addiction, “People, Places & Things,” opens Feb. 11 at Speakeasy Stage. The play follows the journey of a young actress grappling with addiction in a recovery program. The timely performance relates to ongoing conversations about Boston’s “methadone mile” and how best to transition people with addictions and homelessness to a safer environment.

Shanelle Chloe Villegas, fresh off a performance in “BLKS,” plays Laura, another participant in the recovery program working to change her life. Villegas says she has found personal growth during the show’s process.

Chloe Villegas in rehearsal for “People, Places & Things.” PHOTO: ANABEL RIOS PHOTOGRAPHY

“Despite the play being difficult to dig into at times, the content has also brought up extremely meaningful conversations in my own life,” she says. “I have learned so much more about the human condition through this play.”

“People, Places & Things” posits an interesting parallel between addiction and theater. Theater circles delving into complex emotional themes of a script can often feel like group therapy circles. Villegas remarks that the process of transforming into someone else, and therefore escaping the problems in an actor’s own life, bears some resemblance to the use of substances to escape. “People, Places & Things” explores this meta connection by juxtaposing the protagonist Emma’s performances with her role-playing during group therapy and relapse spirals.

Villegas has noticed other parallels between the cast and characters as well. “The resilience of the group has been profound,” says Villegas. “As things fall apart around us, we’ve been the glue that we need to try to make this show go on.” Just as their characters struggle to piece their lives back together, the actors have worked desperately to keep the show moving during the constant shifts of the pandemic.

Originally slated for an earlier timeline, COVID-19 shutdowns pushed the show back again and again. Even now, as other plays in Boston and on Broadway shutter due to omicron statistics, the fate of the performance is uncertain. Like the characters in the show, the cast and crew must take things one day at a time.

Though the themes in “People, Places & Things” are challenging and deeply personal for many, the performance illustrates how the human spirit can persevere, especially with the support and understanding of people around them. “I hope the audience takes away that addiction is an illness,” says Villegas. “I want people to root for someone to recover from addiction and to know that it’s a journey as well.”