PLAY REVIEW: KODACHROME - A SNAPSHOT OF SMALL-TOWN LOVE
- Camryn Tyrrell
- Nov 11, 2025
- 3 min read
By Camryn Tyrrell
I had the pleasure of attending Barry University Theatre Department’s fall production, Kodachrome, a drama/comedy written by Adam Szymkowicz and directed by theatre professor Stephen Kaiser, with assistant direction by Nubia Issa. The play
centers on the interconnected lives of a small town’s inhabitants, narrated by a photographer named Suzanne. Through her lens, we’re thrust into the lives and romances of characters like the gravedigger, the hardware store owner, the perfume
maker, the florist, and so much more. The plot twist was very shocking; I did not expect her to be a ghost the entire time!
The role of Suzanne, both as the main character and narrator, was played by junior theatre major Natalia Saiz. As narrator, she was quite literally speaking for the entirety of the 70-minute play (which had no intermission). She told the story of the townspeople and guided us through their various love trials and tribulations. She was amazing and never skipped a beat or a line, even when I could tell she wanted to start laughing at one of her fellow actors.
Though Saiz was the star of the show, one person had a standout performance for me over everyone else. Sophomore theatre major Christopher Zarn stole every scene he was in with his portrayal of the hopeless romantic Gravedigger and the Young Man. His ability to make quick changes and dart on and off stage, all without being seen, really shook the crowd and me. It takes great versatility to sell being two characters, and Zarn was able to do it while making the audience equally invested in both. Of course, the entire cast was outstanding. The acting was nothing short of professional, and you could feel the cast's chemistry with each other. I thoroughly enjoyed everyone's performance.
The set was a beautifully built grey structure, with a big circular projection screen in the middle. Throughout the play, that screen would be used to showcase pictures of the town’s locations to set the scene. I thought that it was a very smart, subtle addition that both got around spatial constraints while keeping the photography motif. The lighting and sound choices also stuck out. The music was modern, and it underscored the emotional beats perfectly. Even the lighting felt expressive, amplifying the characters’ emotions by bringing it to a physical space.
My main takeaway from this performance was how love connects people in so many different ways. You can never know what someone is thinking or feeling, and you never truly know what someone is going through. I found myself really connected with
the florist played by sophomore theatre major Mariana Sanchez. She had an unwavering optimism that I really resonated with, even when she kept fruitlessly trying over and over to be seen and loved by the perfume maker. All the while, the perfume maker was stuck in his own unrequited love for the waitress, repeatedly ignoring the florist until she recognized her own worth. In doing so, she found the strength to move on from him.
Despite the dramatic nature of the play, it was surprisingly very funny with several heartfelt and laugh-out-loud moments. As a watcher of almost every Barry theatre play since my freshman year, I can say that these the- atre students are actively getting better every time that I see them. I am never disappointed. Even though Kodachrome has finished its run, I recommend that every- one see their spring play, because it will be even better.