LACRIMA REVIEW: The Artistry and Drama Behind a Royal Wedding Dress.

A Captivating Production at BAM Harvey Theater

Completely captivated by this heart-pounding drama, we in the audience hung on every moment of Lacrima (tear), now playing at the BAM Harvey Theater. This beautifully written and exquisitely directed work by Caroline Guiela Nguyen reels in the onlooker immediately, beginning with an urgent, dramatic action accompanied by powerful, heart-pounding sound — a sound we all make when something thrills or frightens us.

There is much at stake in the making of a wedding gown commissioned by a fictional new princess of England. The gown is not only designed with historical fervor but is also compared to those of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and Kate Middleton. An extraordinary lace veil, unseen since the 1950s wedding of another royal, will be restored by the legendary lace makers of Alençon, France. These artisans, once forbidden to speak as they work, possess secrets of lace-making that have nearly vanished.

In a workshop in Mumbai, an expert embroiderer faces the daunting task of attaching 250,000 small pearls to a gown within one month, a challenging deadline that may threaten his eyesight.

Marion, the manager and the heart of this superbly produced atelier, must juggle the demands of a frighteningly jealous husband, an angry daughter, and the needs of the Beliana haute couture house in Paris. This moment marks a defining point in her career, as…