Review: Rogue Machine’s ‘Adolescent Salvation’ at Matrix Theatre
- Dondre Tuck
- Sep 13
- 3 min read
“Adolescent Salvation,” written by Tim Venable and directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos, throws us into the world of three teenagers at a sleepover. What begins as a lighthearted night of drinking, texting and playing truth-or-dare takes a sharp turn when Natasha (Carolina Rodriguez) shares something deeply personal, sparking a chain of events that changes everything.
At its core, the play examines accountability and complicity, what happens when innocence collides with reality and how each of us carries responsibility in those moments. The acting is phenomenal across the board. Each performer understands the weight of the material and leans in fully.
The chemistry between Taylor F. (Alexandra Lee) and Taylor M. (Michael Guarasci) is electric, their back-and-forth adding humor and energy to the story. Rodriguez as Natasha commands attention with a performance that spans the full emotional range: funny, raw, vulnerable and fierce. I also want to recognize Keith Stevenson playing Natasha’s secret lover, whose grounded performance brought quiet power to the play’s most delicate scenes.
Cienfuegos directs with precision, balancing humor and tension while never letting the story lose momentum. The pacing is tight, keeping the audience leaning in from start to finish. What makes the production especially memorable is its immersive design. Even barely stepping into the theatre, we are drawn into Natasha’s world, with green bead curtains, scattered shoes and stairwells cluttered with clothes, all leading us into her bedroom. By the time the play begins, the illusion is seamless, and we are no longer just watching, we are inside her life.
Joel Daavid’s set and lighting design makes that world feel lived-in and authentic. Pink walls littered with stickers, strings of Christmas lights, stuffed animals and a record player paint the portrait of a teenage girl’s room. Every detail feels intentional, from the trinket filled bookshelf to the twin bed at the center of it all. It is one of the most fully realized sets I have seen in Los Angeles theatre. Christine Cover Ferro’s costumes support the story beautifully, giving each character individuality without distraction.
Sound design by Chris Moscatiello heightens the experience at every turn. His careful layering, from subtle environmental details inside Natasha’s room to the haunting footsteps as Lee and Guarasci descend the stairs in the final scene, keeps the story grounded and emotionally charged.
Themes of accountability and complicity drive the play forward. Each character must face their role in what happens, and the audience is left to wrestle with the same question. In what ways have we been complicit, and what does true accountability look like? Long after the curtain call, I am left with the thought that real salvation requires facing uncomfortable truths, both personally and collectively.
The audience was locked in for the entirety of a recent performance, laughing, wincing, and reflecting in equal measure. My only note would be to remind everyone to silence their phones before the show. Beyond that, this is an unforgettable and immersive piece of theatre that I strongly recommend.
Rogue Machine’s “Adolescent Salvation” continues through Oct. 12 at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, with shows Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 5 p.m. For tickets and information, call 855-585-5185 or visit RogueMachineTheatre.org. Run time is 90 minutes with no intermission.
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