"The Daphne Project" - Film Review
Written, directed, and produced by Zora Iman Crews and Alec Tibaldi, The Daphne Project is a mockumentary about a small, local theatre troupe’s production of Euripides' The Bacchae. At the film’s center is Daphne (Crews), an aspiring actor who isn’t the star of the stage show, but that doesn’t deter her. Daphne takes the adage “all the world’s a stage” quite literally, and ruffles the feathers of some of her costars (Geena Quintos, Annie-Sage Whitehurst, Yael Rizowy, and Austin Letorney) with her pseudo-social-justice warrior antics. Even without Daphne’s highjinks, the theatre troupe is struggling to make it to opening night.
The Daphne Project is a loving, hilarious skewering of the world of independent theatre. It’s abundantly clear that these characters have been born out of people Crews and Tibaldi have come across in their careers. While never over-exaggerated, the characters are the sort of eccentric people who exist in any creative field. They are immediately recognizable to those who have crossed paths with aspiring actors. It’s easy to play over the top and be odd for the sake of being odd, but the actors of The Daphne Project manage to make their characters living and breathing in their absurdism.
“You know,” Daphne says through tears, “it’s really hard being extraordinary.” And she would know. Even though it’s a small-scale story, there’s something extraordinary about The Daphne Project, and so much of that magic is thanks to Zora Iman Crews. Her deadpan humor and impeccable comedic timing are the guiding light of the film. Crews’ character is simultaneously confident and oblivious, which is a terrible combination for a real person, but it’s captivating for Daphne.
The Daphne Project has the under-the-radar makings of a future cult classic. Even though all of the characters are disastrous, the audience can’t help but want to see more of them when the film ends. With all the different takes on mockumentaries in today’s sitcom world, the absence of a series that takes place in the world of community theatre now feels especially tragic. What havoc could Daphne’s neverending optimism and overconfidence wreak if she was given a larger stage?
The Daphne Project revels in the absurdity of the pursuit of art. Any career or passion that requires an individual to prance around a stage in a leotard requires a willingness to be strange without shame. This funny and endearing film is La La Land’s weird, non-musical younger sibling. Both movies are about the pursuit of a career that’s unrealistic, yet someone has to do it. Someone has to be the one to make people laugh, and it’s a delight to watch Crews and Tibaldi take that lofty, impossible goal upon themselves.
The Daphne Project is now streaming on Fuse+
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