Staff Writer Talia Benson attended the closing night performance of First Stages’ new musical Inner Styles, this Saturday night at the Glicker-Milstein Theater. Content warnings: mentions of eating disorders, Covid-19, anxiety, and panic attacks.

Immediately upon entering the Glicker-Milstein Theater, I was transfixed by the sound of “What Makes You Beautiful” blasting over the speakers and the posters of One Direction and other iconic boy bands all over the walls (courtesy of set designer Sophie Mertzel (BC ‘28)). I quickly took my seat and waited patiently for the show to begin (not before, however, several more One Direction songs, and randomly Mercy by Shawn Mendes? I wasn’t sure how Shawn was related here, but I’m not complaining).

As the lights came up on center stage, the audience was greeted by the sound effect of a rapid heart beat and the sight of protagonist Alanna, played by CC Shaw (BC ‘27), huddled on the floor having a panic attack as the rest of the cast moved around her, representing her anxious thoughts. This set the scene for the rest of the show, which was equal parts heartwrenching and hilarious. The main premise is that Alanna tries to deal with her anxiety during quarantine, all the while being advised by a larger-than-life version of Harry Styles, who’s living in her head. 

Alanna is an aspiring singer who recently moved to L.A. to live with her quirky Aunt Helen, played by Abigail Fixel (BC ‘26), and Helen’s landlord (or possibly boyfriend- it’s a debated subject). To cope with her anxiety, Alanna tries to maintain control of everything that she can. All control, however, is thrown out the window when Harry Styles, played by Justine Dugger-Ades (CC ‘26) kindly reminds the audience that it is March 14th, 2020. Alanna is suddenly forced to move back to Nebraska to quarantine with her Too-Hot-to-Handle-obsessed mother, Addison, played by Isabella St Juste (BC ‘27). 

Shaw and Dugger-Ades had a naturally entertaining dynamic as Alanna and Harry Styles, respectively. Shaw put on an incredibly realistic performance of anxiety and portrayed the intricacies of Alanna’s character in a relatable way. Her fears about letting go of situations and feelings of being a burden to her loved ones are things that many people have experienced. On a separate note, perhaps the most impressive part of Shaw’s performance was the fact that she was able to belt after screaming at full volume in the previous scene.

Dugger-Ades, in particular, stole the show with her hilarious portrayal of Harry Styles. As a part of Alanna’s mind, Harry is almost always nearby her or sitting at his reserved seat in the audience. Harry provides commentary on Alanna’s life and even tries to cheer her up at times by bringing out the other four members of One Direction to play her a song. Truly, the most memorable moment from the show that got the audience laughing hysterically was Harry Styles dancing along to viral Tiktok audios from 2020 as Alanna scrolls through her phone (do you remember the renegade?). 

Lucas Lugones’ (SEAS ‘25) and Jorim Cha’s (GS ‘28) performances as Alanna’s two love interests were also highlights of the musical. Lugones played Connor, a fratty lacrosse bro who occasionally said things that almost sounded sweet, but immediately ruined the moment by saying something even more stupid. He’s the epitome of a “where my hug at” guy, which was actually one of his lines. Throughout the show, the version of Axel, Alanna’s ex-boyfriend from high school who she dumped, in Alanna’s head interrupts moments with Connor and tries to convince Alanna that she isn’t over their relationship. In a hilariously unexpected moment, the real Axel arrives at Alanna’s house only to tell her that he found a new girlfriend that’s better than she is, again eliciting uproarious laughter and reminding both Alanna and the audience that the versions of people we have in our heads are not always realistic. 

The show’s book, music, and lyrics were all by Ava Roberts (CC ‘25). It was directed by Jordan Danielle Baptiste (BC ‘25) and produced by Grace Batesi (BC ‘25). The costumes, designed by Laila Diaz (CC ‘25), were simple but effective, with many small details helping to create distinctions between characters. Harry Styles wore a big, feathered boa, and Connor (the lacrosse bro) wore a “LinkedIn” crewneck that pretty much summed up his character without him having to say a word. A nice touch was that earlier in the play, Alanna wore more colorful items like a pink dress on her date with Connor, but by the penultimate ballad (aptly titled “Monochrome”), she only wore black.

The show was performed in the round, meaning that there were seats along all four walls of the room and no true front or back of the stage. For the most part, the blocking was expertly tailored to the space so that the actors would spin around or run to each side so all of the audience could see what was going on, although there were points where the actors tended to face one wall more than the others, leaving some expressions and intricacies of their dynamics unseen by certain audience members.

The show as a whole could have benefited from some more polishing; the ensemble seemed a little unsure of themselves at times in the big group numbers and there were some difficulties with turning the mics up at the beginnings of songs, leaving the first few lines unheard. However, the company managed to put all of this together in only 5 weeks, which is an impressive feat in and of itself, especially since it’s a brand new student-written show! 

In the program’s playwright’s statement, Roberts wrote: “This is not a pandemic show. This is not an eating disorder show. This is a show that highlights what it means to struggle with mental health and move forward.” Alanna’s journey absolutely reflects this idea. While she struggles with her anxiety and returning memories of her eating disorder, these parts don’t define her as a person and she begins to learn how to move past them. Overall, the audience was captivated and completely engaged with the show whether we were gasping at new developments in the plot or cackling at Harry’s antics. I’m so glad I got to see this show before it closed!

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