Verse Chorus Verse: Tacoma On Stage in New York

When we first heard that a play reviewed in New York was set in Tacoma, we thought that this could be interesting. Then … well … hmmmm … The New York Times this weekend reviewed Verse Chorus Verse, a play that opened a couple weeks ago at the Cherry Lane Theater, in Greenwich. Why do you care? The play tells the story, 20 years later, of Polly, the title character of that disturbing Nirvana song about the 1987 abduction, rape and torture of a 14 year-old girl after leaving a concert in Tacoma.

Disturbing is a mild word for the story on which “Polly” was apparently based. Although it’s certainly not a chapter of Tacoma’s history anyone here wants to dredge up, the story apparently peaked the interest of Kurt Cobain, and now of playwright Randall Colburn. We’re curious how the playwright and cast portray Tacoma … okay, probably not our best side.

Read the New York Times review for more on the play.