Good People
'Good People' nails all aspects of its productionWhether the characters in David Lindsay-Abaire's "Good People" deserve that appellation is certainly up for debate, but there's no question that the fine cast of the Springfield Contemporary Theatre regional premiere provide good company indeed. The co-production with Resident Artist Ensemble, incisively directed by Melanie Dreyer-Lude, proves that a traditional, well-crafted play can engage an audience when staged with finesse and acted with absolute conviction.Sarah J. Wiggin, the grieving mother in SCT's 2011 production of Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Rabbit Hole," embodies a much different character with equal passion and precision.
Margie Walsh, unemployed at 50 and struggling to support a disabled daughter, is a canny mix of passive acceptance and go-for-the-jugular aggression. When the South Boston native learns that high school beau Mike has returned to town after becoming a successful doctor, she looks him up in hopes of snagging a routine job. That hope is soon squashed, but the past that's dredged up from their reunion forms the basis for riveting drama and laugh-out-loud comedy.
Wiggin limns Margie skillfully, making us accept her willfulness and tendency to self-sabotage as part of a very human package. David Schmittou, last seen locally in SCT's "Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps," does excellent work here as a proud man with hidden chinks in his emotional armor. The duo's beautifully-etched office tango shows both actors at their best, with our loyalties bobbing back and forth between two flawed but sympathetic figures.
That's just a prelude to an even more dynamic encounter in Act Two. The playing field here is the elegant living room of Mike's house in Chestnut Hill, an upscale neighborhood that represents a huge economic and cultural leap from his younger days. Adding to the tension is Mike's much-younger wife Kate, a sophisticated literature professor who likes to entertain on a lavish scale. As she probes Margie for details of Mike's hard-knock adolescence, secrets come to light that alter our opinions about all three characters. You leave knowing that, when it comes to people, "good" and "nice" are deceptive labels at best.
Christina Gardner, the world weary Ruth Younger in February's "A Raisin in the Sun," glows with privilege and sly wit here. Just when you think you've pegged Kate as a materialistic snob, Gardner deftly reveals deeper layers.
Equally winning are Andie Bottrell as Margie's amusingly foul-mouthed friend Jean and Julie Bloodworth as her tactless, self-centered landlady Dottie. Some of their scenes, especially a funny flap at a bingo parlor, edge into sitcom territory, albeit the sharply-observed kind that made Norman Lear's shows of the 1970s both amusing and provocative.
Supplying a welcome sense of unequivocal goodness is Michael Watterson's beautifully rendered Stevie, the soft-spoken young man whose reluctant firing of Margie sets the plot into motion.
Everything clicks in this production, from the cast's spot-on "Southie" accents to the noisy scene changes that reflect the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of South Boston. Filled with relatable people, pleasurable plot twists and subtle social commentary, "Good People" offers a potent evening at the theater.
Margie Walsh, unemployed at 50 and struggling to support a disabled daughter, is a canny mix of passive acceptance and go-for-the-jugular aggression. When the South Boston native learns that high school beau Mike has returned to town after becoming a successful doctor, she looks him up in hopes of snagging a routine job. That hope is soon squashed, but the past that's dredged up from their reunion forms the basis for riveting drama and laugh-out-loud comedy.
Wiggin limns Margie skillfully, making us accept her willfulness and tendency to self-sabotage as part of a very human package. David Schmittou, last seen locally in SCT's "Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps," does excellent work here as a proud man with hidden chinks in his emotional armor. The duo's beautifully-etched office tango shows both actors at their best, with our loyalties bobbing back and forth between two flawed but sympathetic figures.
That's just a prelude to an even more dynamic encounter in Act Two. The playing field here is the elegant living room of Mike's house in Chestnut Hill, an upscale neighborhood that represents a huge economic and cultural leap from his younger days. Adding to the tension is Mike's much-younger wife Kate, a sophisticated literature professor who likes to entertain on a lavish scale. As she probes Margie for details of Mike's hard-knock adolescence, secrets come to light that alter our opinions about all three characters. You leave knowing that, when it comes to people, "good" and "nice" are deceptive labels at best.
Christina Gardner, the world weary Ruth Younger in February's "A Raisin in the Sun," glows with privilege and sly wit here. Just when you think you've pegged Kate as a materialistic snob, Gardner deftly reveals deeper layers.
Equally winning are Andie Bottrell as Margie's amusingly foul-mouthed friend Jean and Julie Bloodworth as her tactless, self-centered landlady Dottie. Some of their scenes, especially a funny flap at a bingo parlor, edge into sitcom territory, albeit the sharply-observed kind that made Norman Lear's shows of the 1970s both amusing and provocative.
Supplying a welcome sense of unequivocal goodness is Michael Watterson's beautifully rendered Stevie, the soft-spoken young man whose reluctant firing of Margie sets the plot into motion.
Everything clicks in this production, from the cast's spot-on "Southie" accents to the noisy scene changes that reflect the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of South Boston. Filled with relatable people, pleasurable plot twists and subtle social commentary, "Good People" offers a potent evening at the theater.
Painting Churches
Springfield Contemporary Theatre welcomes spring with "Painting Churches," an engaging look at a married couple in the autumn of their years.
Tina Howe's poignant yet humorous play, a finalist for the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, was previously staged by SCT in 1999. The new production helmed by Sarah J. Wiggin boasts a powerhouse acting trio comprised of real-life spouses Julie and Terry Bloodworth as Fanny and Gardner Church and Maggie Marlin as their daughter Margaret, nicknamed Mags.
When Mags, a successful portrait painter, returns to the family's Boston home to "do" her parents at long last, she finds the aging couple mired in confusion. Gardner's diminishing mental focus has ended his career as a respected poet and forced Fanny to sell their stately Beacon Hill home in favor of a more managable summer cottage. As Fanny packs cherished belongings and deals with Gardner's unpredictable behavior, Mags weighs in with grievances from the past, especially a memorable ninth birthday party that ended disastrously. Over the course of two hours, each character takes center stage to present his or her case in aria-like form.
The Bloodworths made a suitably rancorous couple as George and Martha in SCT's 2008 staging of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." They're more ingratiating here, winning us over with charmingly eccentric behavior before Mags' nagging questions reveal fundamental character flaws. Director Wiggin accentuates the comic elements in Act One, then turns up the heat as each family member has a revealing "meltdown" moment.
Ms. Bloodworth, looking fetching in a black slip and bright red dress hat, is especially good at suggesting the desperation cloaked by Fanny's stiff-upper-lip exterior, while Mr. Bloodworth conveys the warmth and dignity beneath Gardner's crusty manner and infantile actions. His rapt recitations of poems by Dickinson, Yeats, Frost and other masters prove that Gardner's love affair with words has survived the desertion of his own muse.
Marlin, a lovable Kate Monster/Lucy in SCT's 2012 "Avenue Q," has the unenviable task of making emotionally needy Mags at least somewhat sympathetic. The young woman's hunger for parental approval, symbolized by non-stop eating binges whenever she visits them, can register as an extreme case of arrested adolescence. Marlin's girlish voice and machine-gun delivery accentuate Mags' immaturity, and her stubborn denial of Gardner's incipient senility is initially off-putting, but we gradually understand the frustrations that have simmered for decades.
Howe's chamber-scaled work hits some of the same notes as "On Golden Pond," another portrait of an elderly couple and a daughter who longs for parental validation. Fans of that play will likely enjoy this well-acted, if somewhat tonier take on dysfunctional family dynamics.
"Painting Churches," a co-production with Resident Artist Ensemble, runs through April 4 at SCT's Center Stage in Wilhoit Plaza, 431 S. Jefferson Ave. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and April 2-4 and at 2 p.m. Sunday. For tickets ($25, $22; $10 student rush), call 831-8001..
Larry T. Collins reviews the performing arts for the News-Leader.
Tina Howe's poignant yet humorous play, a finalist for the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, was previously staged by SCT in 1999. The new production helmed by Sarah J. Wiggin boasts a powerhouse acting trio comprised of real-life spouses Julie and Terry Bloodworth as Fanny and Gardner Church and Maggie Marlin as their daughter Margaret, nicknamed Mags.
When Mags, a successful portrait painter, returns to the family's Boston home to "do" her parents at long last, she finds the aging couple mired in confusion. Gardner's diminishing mental focus has ended his career as a respected poet and forced Fanny to sell their stately Beacon Hill home in favor of a more managable summer cottage. As Fanny packs cherished belongings and deals with Gardner's unpredictable behavior, Mags weighs in with grievances from the past, especially a memorable ninth birthday party that ended disastrously. Over the course of two hours, each character takes center stage to present his or her case in aria-like form.
The Bloodworths made a suitably rancorous couple as George and Martha in SCT's 2008 staging of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." They're more ingratiating here, winning us over with charmingly eccentric behavior before Mags' nagging questions reveal fundamental character flaws. Director Wiggin accentuates the comic elements in Act One, then turns up the heat as each family member has a revealing "meltdown" moment.
Ms. Bloodworth, looking fetching in a black slip and bright red dress hat, is especially good at suggesting the desperation cloaked by Fanny's stiff-upper-lip exterior, while Mr. Bloodworth conveys the warmth and dignity beneath Gardner's crusty manner and infantile actions. His rapt recitations of poems by Dickinson, Yeats, Frost and other masters prove that Gardner's love affair with words has survived the desertion of his own muse.
Marlin, a lovable Kate Monster/Lucy in SCT's 2012 "Avenue Q," has the unenviable task of making emotionally needy Mags at least somewhat sympathetic. The young woman's hunger for parental approval, symbolized by non-stop eating binges whenever she visits them, can register as an extreme case of arrested adolescence. Marlin's girlish voice and machine-gun delivery accentuate Mags' immaturity, and her stubborn denial of Gardner's incipient senility is initially off-putting, but we gradually understand the frustrations that have simmered for decades.
Howe's chamber-scaled work hits some of the same notes as "On Golden Pond," another portrait of an elderly couple and a daughter who longs for parental validation. Fans of that play will likely enjoy this well-acted, if somewhat tonier take on dysfunctional family dynamics.
"Painting Churches," a co-production with Resident Artist Ensemble, runs through April 4 at SCT's Center Stage in Wilhoit Plaza, 431 S. Jefferson Ave. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and April 2-4 and at 2 p.m. Sunday. For tickets ($25, $22; $10 student rush), call 831-8001..
Larry T. Collins reviews the performing arts for the News-Leader.
God of Carnage
Review: Four actors in 'God of Carnage' make strong impressions
The play touches on hot-button topics, from sexism and racism to class consciousness and physical violence
by Larry Collins, Springfield News-Leader
Sometimes its fun to watch people – as the Barbra Streisand song puts it – “acting more like children than children.” That’s part of the perverse charm of “God of Carnage,” a Springfield Contemporary Theatre/Resident Artist Ensemble co-production playing through Sunday at the Springfield Art Museum.
Yasmina Reza’s 2009 Tony winner for Best Drama gets a nice workout from director Julie Bloodworth and her talented cast of four. The quarrelsome quartet breaks down into two earnest, well-to-do couples who meet to discuss a schoolyard altercation between their young sons.
Hosting the get-together are Michael and Veronica Novak, whose comfortable Brooklyn living room reeks of studied good taste. Furnishings are stylish, colors are muted and impressive art books lie about as accent pieces to impress visitors. It was the Novaks’ son who suffered injuries in the fracas and they’re expecting a heartfelt apology from his parents.
Alan and Annette Raleigh appear eager to appease, but matters spiral out of control when a series of misunderstandings splits the couples into unpredictable factions and sparks barbarous behavior that justifies the play’s blunt final line: “We’re all animals.”
All four actors make strong impressions as up-to-date, civilized folk who are pleasant enough on the surface, but vicious when their vulnerable social veneers are scratched.
Rick Dines – who doubles as set designer – has some of the cleverest lines as Alan, a cynical businessman who “sees through” everything and concedes up front that his son is “a savage.” He’s more interested in taking cell phone calls than in playing nice with the Novaks. His wife Annette is more sociable, at least initially, but it’s clear she’s none too thrilled to be called on the carpet. Maggie Marlin’s girlish giggle and ingratiating manner ultimately give way to raucous behavior brought on by frazzled nerves and too much booze.
Sarah J. Wiggin, Marlin’s co-star in last summer’s “The Female Odd Couple,” is part of another mismatch here. Her Veronica is rather snooty and self-possessed, while down-to-earth hubby Michael is more casual and conciliatory. Eventually, though, he reveals “Neanderthal” tendencies that align him with Alan and drive Annette over the edge. Michael Frizell makes an affable audience surrogate in the part, luring both us and his guests into a false sense of security.
Director Bloodworth, who played Martha in SCT’s 2008 staging of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” certainly knows about high-intensity meltdowns involving testy couples. “God of Carnage” has several parallels with the Edward Albee play, including nausea as a plot point, but its focus is of necessity more contained at 85 minutes sans intermission.
Still, Reza manages to touch on a number of hot-button topics, from sexism and racism to class consciousness and physical violence. Through it all, you’ll find yourself laughing both at and with the two hapless couples as they succumb to long-suppressed primal urges.
The play touches on hot-button topics, from sexism and racism to class consciousness and physical violence
by Larry Collins, Springfield News-Leader
Sometimes its fun to watch people – as the Barbra Streisand song puts it – “acting more like children than children.” That’s part of the perverse charm of “God of Carnage,” a Springfield Contemporary Theatre/Resident Artist Ensemble co-production playing through Sunday at the Springfield Art Museum.
Yasmina Reza’s 2009 Tony winner for Best Drama gets a nice workout from director Julie Bloodworth and her talented cast of four. The quarrelsome quartet breaks down into two earnest, well-to-do couples who meet to discuss a schoolyard altercation between their young sons.
Hosting the get-together are Michael and Veronica Novak, whose comfortable Brooklyn living room reeks of studied good taste. Furnishings are stylish, colors are muted and impressive art books lie about as accent pieces to impress visitors. It was the Novaks’ son who suffered injuries in the fracas and they’re expecting a heartfelt apology from his parents.
Alan and Annette Raleigh appear eager to appease, but matters spiral out of control when a series of misunderstandings splits the couples into unpredictable factions and sparks barbarous behavior that justifies the play’s blunt final line: “We’re all animals.”
All four actors make strong impressions as up-to-date, civilized folk who are pleasant enough on the surface, but vicious when their vulnerable social veneers are scratched.
Rick Dines – who doubles as set designer – has some of the cleverest lines as Alan, a cynical businessman who “sees through” everything and concedes up front that his son is “a savage.” He’s more interested in taking cell phone calls than in playing nice with the Novaks. His wife Annette is more sociable, at least initially, but it’s clear she’s none too thrilled to be called on the carpet. Maggie Marlin’s girlish giggle and ingratiating manner ultimately give way to raucous behavior brought on by frazzled nerves and too much booze.
Sarah J. Wiggin, Marlin’s co-star in last summer’s “The Female Odd Couple,” is part of another mismatch here. Her Veronica is rather snooty and self-possessed, while down-to-earth hubby Michael is more casual and conciliatory. Eventually, though, he reveals “Neanderthal” tendencies that align him with Alan and drive Annette over the edge. Michael Frizell makes an affable audience surrogate in the part, luring both us and his guests into a false sense of security.
Director Bloodworth, who played Martha in SCT’s 2008 staging of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” certainly knows about high-intensity meltdowns involving testy couples. “God of Carnage” has several parallels with the Edward Albee play, including nausea as a plot point, but its focus is of necessity more contained at 85 minutes sans intermission.
Still, Reza manages to touch on a number of hot-button topics, from sexism and racism to class consciousness and physical violence. Through it all, you’ll find yourself laughing both at and with the two hapless couples as they succumb to long-suppressed primal urges.
Rabbit Hole
"Under the sensitive direction of Paul Dennhardt, the top-flight cast of five illuminates both the sad and serio-comic dimensions of a tragic situation to create two hours of compelling theatre you won't soon forget.
Sarah Wiggin and Kurt Gerard are both excellent...Maggie Marlin is delightful!
If you're expecting a gloomy outing, the play's comic component may well surprise you. [Julie Bloodworth's] riotous explanation of 'The Kennedy Curse' veers perilously close to a sit-down stand-up routine, but Bloodworth's ace comic timing makes it a highlight of the evening."
- Larry T. Collin, Springfield News-Leader
"They've out done themselves. Rabbit Hole is literally the best drama I have seen on stage this year.
Kurt Gerard impressed me very, very much. His delivery was perfect...Sarah [Wiggin]'s scenes with Rolando Rodriguez are really affecting."
- David Norman, TAG Magazine
"The cast had unbelievable chemistry, and the dialogue between characters gave the impression that Rabbit Hole wasn't just a play, but a look into a real family's day-to-day life after tragedy strikes."
- Megan Gates, The Standard
Sarah Wiggin and Kurt Gerard are both excellent...Maggie Marlin is delightful!
If you're expecting a gloomy outing, the play's comic component may well surprise you. [Julie Bloodworth's] riotous explanation of 'The Kennedy Curse' veers perilously close to a sit-down stand-up routine, but Bloodworth's ace comic timing makes it a highlight of the evening."
- Larry T. Collin, Springfield News-Leader
"They've out done themselves. Rabbit Hole is literally the best drama I have seen on stage this year.
Kurt Gerard impressed me very, very much. His delivery was perfect...Sarah [Wiggin]'s scenes with Rolando Rodriguez are really affecting."
- David Norman, TAG Magazine
"The cast had unbelievable chemistry, and the dialogue between characters gave the impression that Rabbit Hole wasn't just a play, but a look into a real family's day-to-day life after tragedy strikes."
- Megan Gates, The Standard