THEATER REVIEW: WAM Theatre presents Melancholy Play

Submitted by Lesley Ann Beck on November 15, 2010 - 12:16am

Theater

Melancholy Play

By Sarah Ruhl

Directed by Kristen van Ginhoven

(WAM Theatre, NEW STAGE Performing Arts Center, , Pittsfield, Mass., $25; $12 students)

A WAM Theatre production of a play in two acts

CAST:

Betsy Holt as Tilly

Todd Quick as Frank

Per Janson as Lorenzo

Karen Lee as Frances

Erika Helen Smith as Julian the cellist

Leigh Strimbeck as Joan

Reviewed by Lesley Ann Beck

[PITTSFIELD, Mass.] Sarah Ruhl’s enchanting Melancholy Play is anything BUT melancholy, especially in the delightfully funny new production from WAM Theatre. Under the deft hand of director Kristen van Ginhoven, the exceptional ensemble cast turns this magical fable of transformation into a memorable evening in the theater.

Betsy Holt and Todd Quick; Erika Helen Smith in background; photo by Kaitlyn Squires, courtesy WAM Theatre

At the start of this “defense of melancholy,” Lorenzo, a man who was abandoned as an infant in a sweet shop in an “unspecified European city,” describes himself as “Lorenzo the unfeeling,” at least until he falls under the spell of the radiant, yet melancholy Tilly. Tilly is a bank teller sent to a therapist by her employer in an attempt to lift her sweetly sad demeanor; Lorenzo is her therapist. The lovely Betsy Holt is perfect as Tilly, charmingly sad and then radiantly happy; it’s clear why everyone who meets her is besotted. And Per Janson is terrific as a larger-than-life, mad, aloof, and then passionate Lorenzo.

The tale unfolds to the lovely strains of a cello, beautifully played from a corner of the stage by Erika Helen Smith as Julian; the original music is composed by Michael Roth.

Per Janson and Todd Quick; photo by Kaitlyn Squires, courtesy WAM Theatre

Next, Tilly, however inadvertently, casts her spell on Frank, a tailor who falls under her spell as he hems her trousers; Todd Quick is warm, funny, and strong as the somewhat put-upon craftsman who is surprised by love.

Frances, a hairdresser (and former physicist), succumbs to Tilly’s charms as well; Karen Lee gives a grounded, nuanced performance as Frances--we see her tumble to Tilly’s charms before our eyes. Frances’s lover, the nurse Joan, is the next to fall in love when Frances invites Tilly to their home for a tense little tea party. Leigh Strimbeck is marvelous as the rigid and tightly-buttoned-up nurse who, buoyed by her infatuation with Tilly, leads a silly and captivating game of “Duck, Duck, Goose.”

At one point, the conflict between the two male characters, both of whom profess love for Tilly, escalates into a skirmish (not really a fight) that includes a moment of theatrical brilliance involving an overabundance of machismo and the spinning castors on an office chair. It’s a wonderful surprise, so I’ll say no more.

Leigh Strimbeck, Per Janson, and Todd Quick; photo by Kaitlyn Squires, courtesy WAM Theatre

In the second half of the play, Tilly loses her melancholy and becomes blissfully happy; a condition that alters all her relationships. Rather than sharing Tilly’s happiness, her admirers are confused by their reactions. In a mishap with a vial of tears, Frances is lost; Tilly and Joan demonstrate the redemptive power of love, and thanks to the magic of theater, all is right in the end.

Ruhl’s script is sharp, witty, and sweet; the play is ideal in the intimate theater space. Juliana Haubrich’s set and Yvonne Perry’s costumes work beautifully; the simple lighting scheme is just right in the space, and the sound works well, too. All the elements of the production are well-balanced and thoughtfully executed.

The show, the first full-length production from WAM Theatre, is a joy. Kristen van Ginhoven and her marvelous cast have created a deeply satisfying production of a poignant, funny, sometimes hilarious, somewhat nutty play. This fine production bodes well for future presentations from this new company.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts. For tickets, call 1- or visit www.wamtheatre.com

The music for cello was composed by Michael Roth.

Musical direction by Erika Helen Smith; fight choreography by David Bunce; scene design by Juliana Haubrich; costume design by Yvonne Perry; lighting design by Nick Webb; sound design by Joe and Jan Jurchak; stage manager is Emily Curro; assistant director is Jamuna Yvette Sirker

(Through November 21; running time is just under two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission)

Lesley Ann Beck, the managing editor of Berkshire Living magazine, is the theater critic for berkshireliving.com.

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