After the Glow: Chasing Shadows in ‘A Certain Kind of Light’
The world premiere of A Certain Kind of Light at The Ringwald Theatre is many things: a house party, a downward spiral, a haunting confession—and above all, a bold, new voice in Detroit’s indie theatre scene. Written by Joey Urreta and featuring a tight ensemble of local talent, this play crackles with raw energy as it peels back the layers of vice, youth, and disillusionment in modern America.
[Warning: light spoilers and impressions of A Certain Kind of Light are below!]
Set over the course of one wild, spiraling night, the story lures us into what feels like familiar territory—a group of twenty-somethings gathering for drinks, music, and a bit of reckless fun. But quickly, the party becomes a psychological minefield, pushing each character to confront the shadows they’ve tried to dance past.
A cast that burns brightly in this Ringwald Theatre production
At the emotional heart of the production is Rashna Sarwar as Michelle, whose presence shifts from steady to fractured as revelations surface. Sarwar’s performance is equal parts grounded and guttural, anchoring scenes that could easily drift into abstraction. Their chemistry with Siri Quist, who plays the guarded and sardonic Olivia, creates some of the show’s most compelling dynamics. Quist’s delivery bristles with sharp edges, but there’s a fragile vulnerability beneath her deflections that makes Olivia deeply human.
Hosanna Phillips as Jewel brings emotional texture and a strong sense of inner conflict to a character caught between loyalty and self-preservation. Jewel’s arc—both emotionally and thematically—serves as a bridge between the show’s realism and its surreal plunge; with a pinch of humor that is a twist the audience doesn’t see coming. Phillips navigates that transformation with quiet control and affecting nuance.
Camden Maccagnone (who previously starred in The Ringwald Theatre’s production of The Grown-Ups) plays dual roles—Tyler, a partygoer whose swagger masks instability, and Detective Rollins, a sharp shift in tone that marks the show’s pivot into darker, more surreal territory. Maccagnone balances both roles with impressive clarity, never letting the surrealism undercut the emotional truth.
As Steven, playwright Joey Urreta steps into his own text with a performance that’s as raw and exposed as the writing itself. Steven is less a narrator and more a vessel for guilt, memory, and narrative disintegration—and Urreta meets the challenge with unflinching honesty.
Jayshona Boxx turns in a compelling performance as Vanessa, whose calm exterior conceals a slowly boiling resentment. Boxx’s restraint gives Vanessa a powerful sense of control—even in chaos.
Daniel Santillana gives Frank a simmering intensity that morphs throughout the evening. What starts as comic relief quickly darkens, and Santillana’s ability to navigate that tonal shift is one of the production’s more surprising pleasures.
Finally, Linda Rabin Hammell’s portrayal of Cassandra—a figure part oracle, part enigma—lends the story a mythic, haunting quality. Hammell brings gravitas and eerie precision to the role, grounding some of the play’s more abstract moments in emotional truth.
A theatre made for fringe storytelling
The Ringwald’s new “From the Fringe” series proves an ideal home for this piece. Known for taking risks and centering LGBTQ+ voices, the Ferndale-based theatre uses its intimate setting to amplify tension. There’s nowhere to hide—from the actors or the truths they reveal. While specific design elements (set, lighting, sound) are modest due to the black-box nature of the space, that only enhances the play’s claustrophobic energy.
As the night in the play spirals, so too does the experience of watching it—surreal touches creep in, time bends, identities flicker. And yet, the cast remains laser-focused, never allowing the experimental nature of the storytelling to dilute its emotional stakes.
Light, vice, and the aftermath of A Certain Kind of Light
Uretta’s script doesn’t offer easy answers or moral takeaways. What it offers instead is a kind of fractured reflection—on what it means to indulge, to escape, to wake up in the morning and realize you’ve become someone else. And that’s perhaps where A Certain Kind of Light leaves its biggest impression. It’s not just a play about young people partying—it’s about the ghosts that arrive when the music stops.
Final Verdict:
An unflinching debut, supported by a sharply committed cast, A Certain Kind of Light is one of The Ringwald’s most arresting premieres in recent memory. It’s the kind of show that leaves a mark—not by what it says, but by what it leaves unsaid in the silence that follows.
Exclusive Interview: Joey Urreta of The Ringwald’s A Certain Kind of Light
